The Rothern Legacy
by RosettaStone123
Summary: Thrust into Gryffindor House despite her powerful family's well known Slytherin background, Rachel Rothern battles against her family's disdain and her own insecurities whilst dealing with a fate that forever links her to Harry, Hermione and Ron.
1. Chapter 1

Right to all those who have been reading this I've taken some advise from a reader and have decided to alter the format of the chapter. The story will remain exactly the same its just the formatting that's being changed.

This is my first time writing anything than can be viewed by anyone so I apologize in advance for my crap writing ability but hey it's what I enjoy. Right I've set this story to begin during the third Harry Potter book (Prisoner of Azkaban). It will include my own character, Rachel Rothern being interwoven into the events surrounding the Prisoner of Azkaban and its sequels. Although the events in the actual series will be used I intend to focus more on the development of my own character and her relationships with the books characters, though I'm not sure whether to involve a romance or not but if I do it will turn into a Hermione/Rachel one and if you don't like that pairing then I really wouldn't recommend reading this. To those who will wish to read this despite that possibility I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. And please feel to review and express your opinion and your criticism.

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 1 – The Quidditch Match

The roaring crowd of Hogwarts students could barely be heard by the Quidditch players as thunder roared in their ears. Gryffindor colours of gold and red whipped wildly against the wind as loyal fans eagerly showed their support by holding up banners and scarves marked up of their house colours. While gold and red dominated one side of the Quidditch pitch the other side, just as eager to display their support, held up banners and wore clothes of silver and dark green.

As Harry Potter zoomed past on his broomstick, chasing after the golden snitch, the crowd exploded into a chant "Go, Go, Gryffindor."

He would've smiled at the display were he not busy attempting to see through the torrents of rain that attacked his goggles and stung his face. A bolt of lightning attacked one of Slytherin's players; setting alight the end of his broomstick. Harry manoeuvred out of harm's way as the broom rocketed towards him uncontrollably, a scream of fear echoing in his ears and grey smoke clouding his vision as he turned his head. Grimacing in pity for the poor guy; Harry quickly turned his attention back to searching for the golden snitch. He quickly caught sight of the opposite teams Seeker shooting up into the sky; chasing after the small ball. Pulling on his broomstick Harry gave chase, zooming past one of the pitch's observation towers that held nearly all of Hogwarts teachers and completely missing the look of concern written across Albus Dumbledore's face as he turned to watch Harry disappear into thick, grey clouds. As Harry flew vertically higher and against the wind, rain quickly turned to small shards of ice that left small cuts along his face. The Slytherin Seeker was much closer to the snitch than Harry was so when a bolt of lightning attacked the snitch the poor guy was also attacked and ended up being sent tumbling down through the air, his gelled black hair standing upright on his head as flickers of electricity danced through the strands. Harry paused in his chase; hovering in mid-air to contemplate whether he should continue with his ascension before the snitch darted in front of his face before racing off at a ninety-degree angle. Pleased that the snitch was no longer travelling upwards Harry quickly chased after it. Both snitch and Gryffindor Seeker raced through the air. Harry's attention was quickly diverted away from the golden ball and toward the approaching figure shrouded in black robes.

Fear entered his heart as he immediately recognised the figure for what it really was, a Dementor. Harry tilted his broom downwards, the Dementor narrowly missing him as it aimed to make a collision with him. Looking over his shoulder he released a nervous whimper as not only did the guardian of Azkaban turn around and give chase, but three more emerged from grey mist caused by the clouds. Putting his focus back in front of him he zoomed back down to earth. As he travelled with the creatures on his trail he recognised one of his team's beaters heading towards him. His green eyes widened in shock behind his goggles as Rachel Rothern, perched on her Firebolt broomstick flew at him. Her shoulder length black hair whipped wildly against the air current but her usually calm blue eyes were narrowed in determination

"Harry duck!" she barked up at him, frowning in confusion but never the less heeding her order he pushed his broomstick down and felt her fly past him. Tilting his head he watched in horror as she flew directly through the group of Dementors and drew their attention away from him. They turned their backs on him and chased after the mysterious interloper like wolves closing in on a kill. He wanted to give chase but, even though he hated being useless the fact was without his wand that was exactly what he was. Frowning in anger at his inability to help he launched himself into zooming back down to the Quidditch pitch and getting help from the professors. Once he emerged from the thick grey fog he took in his surroundings, the game was still on and the pitch was full of players while the crowd still roared over the thunder. Upon locating the tower he flew directly to it, his eyes focused on the white haired Headmaster.

Screams of horror forced him to stop once again in mid-air and turn his search for the reason behind the screams; his eyes were immediately attracted to the body that was plummeting towards the ground, red robes twisting against the air current as its owner tilted at different angles. A cold sensation gripped at his heart as he watched Rachel fall before Dumbledore's booming voice calmly released a magic incantation

"Arresto Momento!" the Headmaster pointed his hand towards the falling body and the speed at which she plummeted began to decrease until she landed softly on the wet grass of the field. However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief the Dementors that had been chasing him and then Rachel shot out of the fog and travelled downwards after Rachel. Screams of horror and panic erupted from the crowd and the players as their appearance. As they moved closer to Rachel's unmoving body fear he had only experienced a few times in his short life crippled him once again and wouldn't allow him to move.

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Okay there's the opening chapter. I know it's not exactly brilliant but trust me it'll get better. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay here goes Chapter 2. Hope you like it.

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 2 – Issues within the Family

Incoherent voices pulled her out of the darkness. Blinking a few times Rachel's pale blue eyes locked onto the first face she saw.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" asked Hermione Granger. Rachel frowned up at the chestnut haired bookworm

"I feel fine thank you" she answered, Hermione had never spoken to her fellow Gryffindor before but her voice; despite her hardened face and defensive posture was soft and melodious. Rachel pushed herself up against the head board and immediately recognised two boys standing at the end of her bed, one of the boys was the ginger haired wizard who she recognised to be Ronald Weasley, a pure blood wizard with little common sense but a good heart. The other wizard she instantly recognised as Harry Potter, regardless of the fact the lightning bolt scar was viewable through his hair.

"Ummm...I wanted to say thanks, you know for drawing away the Dementors. That was really brave of you" Rachel focused a blank stare at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Wait the Dementors were after you?" questioned Ron as he turned his head towards his best friend. As the two boys discussed this morning's events Hermione glanced between her two friends and the mysterious girl she sat next to, not once did Rachel's expression change as she watched Harry explain the events that wound up with her being in Madame Pomphrey's infirmary among other students who had been hurt during the game.

"Bloody hell since when did anyone from the Rothern family think of anyone but themselves and their egos?" stated Ron. Both Harry and Hermione glared at him for essentially insulting the person who had rescued Harry.

"Shut up Ron" whispered Harry through gritted teeth as he and Hermione turned their attention back to Rachel, who had remained impassive.

"We're sorry about him" apologized Hermione. Rachel nodded before smiling sadly "It's fine" she coerced before getting off the bed, she walked past the two boys and departed from the infirmary with a relaxed but purposeful stride.

"Nice one Ron" the ginger haired Weasley gawked at Harry.

"What? What did I do?" he questioned in genuine confusion that grated on Hermione's nerves every time she saw it plastered across his face because it always meant that he had said something stupid.

"We all know what her family is like, bunch of slimey snakes if you ask me, so why would she be any different?" he asked.

Hermione stood up from her seat and glared at Ron "If she was like them Ron then she would have been put in Slytherin and not Gryffindor, honestly would she have risked herself for Harry if she was anything like them" she emphasized her point by tilting her head at the two older Rothern siblings who entered the infirmary with their little band of followers.

The eldest sibling was Marcus Rothern, a tall but well built sixth year student who could give Malfoy and run for his money in the degrading department of 'lesser wizards'. He was arrogant and verbally abusive to his younger sibling, Brendan Rothern who in comparison with his older brother was physically and mentally inferior what with his small stature despite being a fifth year student and his poor academic performance. The two Rotherns strutted down the infirmary and towards the bed that Rachel once occupied.

"So did the little traitor get attacked by Dementors then?" questioned Marcus at Harry, when no answer came forth he continued

"Shame she survived really, she's a disgrace to the Rothern name, being a Gryffindor. Always knew she was the weak link in the chain." Hermione glared at the arrogance and ignorance of the older Rothern

"She risked her life to save someone, which makes her brave and selfless...something you most certainly are not"

Marcus bristled at her accusation "How dare you talk to me you filthy mudblood, they never should've let you kind into the..."

"Marcus!" shouted out a strong, commanding voice. Everyone's attention turned towards the now robed Rachel Rothern as she stood just outside the entrance to the infirmary.

"Leave her alone!" she demanded as she glared at her older brother. Marcus sneered at his younger sister.

"And what makes you think that I'll listen to you? You have no authority over me you little traitor...you're as good as dead to the family" Rachel's glare merely intensified.

"I told you to leave her alone" her voice was as cold as ice and hinted at very little emotion. She stepped into the infirmary, her eyes never breaking contact with her brother's angry grey eyes.

"And if I don't?" he baited, a sickly smile plastered across his pale face. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched the scene with a sense of dread in their hearts as Rachel approached her brother with even steps. She stopped just shy of five feet from her older brother before Madame Pomphrey appeared next to her

"My dear what on earth are you doing up? You should be resting" the concern in her voice melted Rachel's icy demeanour and diffused the tension. Marcus snorted before turning on his heel and departing the infirmary, throwing one last glare at Rachel before he turned a corner; closely followed by his younger brother and his lackey's.

"I'm fine Madame Pomphrey, thank you for your concern though" her voice had returned to the soft tone that she had used to speak with Hermione earlier while her face softened into a small smile.

Madame Pomphrey frowned, not entirely convinced that the youngest Rothern was being honest with her. The professor released a small sigh

"Just be sure to not exert yourself too much Miss Rothern" Rachel nodded and the professor relaxed before offering her a warm smile, the groans of the one of her patients quickly called her away from the four. Calm blue eyes slowly turned to Hermione.

"You okay?" she asked, upon receiving a smile of gratitude and a nod of confirmation. A small cough from Ron drew her attention to the Weasley boy.

"Look I'm sorry about what I said earlier, you know about your family" shame tinged his breaking voice.

"Don't be we are selfish by nature and to be honest I don't really get on with them" Hermione and Harry looked at each other.

"But you're not selfish like them, I mean you saved me from the Dementors..." started Harry.

"And you defended me" chimed in Hermione. Rachel sighed evenly.

"To be fair you barely know me, don't make assumptions of my character based on the two actions you've witnessed" the girl was intelligent and analytical, frighteningly so for someone of her age.

"So you're saying you're no different from your family?" asked Ron.

Rachel shook her head "I'm saying don't assume so much out of so little" she turned and left the room.

"Well she's just plain nutty ain't she" Hermione frowned in thought. She found herself growing more and more curious about who Rachel Rothern really was and decided then and there to placate her curiousity.

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Hope you enjoyed that one and please review.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm not exactly placing the events in the book in the correct order but hey it's fiction and my own story. Also if the font changes to italics then that's what the person is thinking but not saying. So here's chapter 3.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 3 – Hagrid's Hippogriff 

"Well that was a bloody waste of time, the woman's clearly off her rocker" moaned Ron as he, Harry and Hermione made their way down the stone staircase built into the side of a hill that led to Hagrid's hut.

"Divination is a topic that is open to interpretation and has little value. Now Ancient Ruins, that's a fascinating subject" commented Hermione. Ron turned his head so he could face Hermione.

"Ancient Ruins? Just how many classes have you taken this year?" Hermione smirked "A fair few" Ron frowned in confusion as Hermione passed him.

"That's not possible. Ancient ruins is on at the same time as Divination. You'd have to be in two places at once"

Hermione scoffed "Honestly Ronald that's impossible. How on earth could I be in two classes at once?" As they continued down the hillside Hermione caught sight of Rachel Rothern heading towards Hagrid's hut as well.

"Bloody hell she's in our Magical Creatures class? Why can't I remember seeing her before?" stated Ron as he followed Hermione's line of vision.

Harry shrugged "Maybe we just never paid that much attention" he offered as they continued along the path, joining up with the rest of the group. The half-giant smiled warmly at the three as they were the last to arrive.

"Right gather round. I've got a real treat for you today, follow me" the students gained curious expressions as they followed Hagrid into the surrounding forest. Hermione approached Rachel as they wandered into the forest.

"Hello Hermione" greeted Rachel, offering her a small smile as they walked "Lovely day isn't it" Hermione's heart sped up ever so slightly as Rachel smiled at her _'That was weird'. _Rachel turned her attention towards their professor.

"Right everyone form a group over their while I go fetch our guest". The students gave their friends puzzled looks at the mention of a 'guest'. Rachel placed her books on top of a nearby tree stump.

"So what do you think Hagrid's got in store for us today Rachel?" the Rothern shrugged her shoulders.

"Could be anything we all know how much Hagrid loves the weird and wonderful" Harry grinned "Yeah know what you mean."

Ron turned to Hermione "You don't think he's gone to fetch his giant spider friend do you?" the fear on Ron's face was evident and was quickly picked up by Draco Malfoy "Pull yourself together Weasel-Beat, god you're pathetic" the insult made Ron's ears burn red with embarrassment

"Shut up Malfoy" commented Hermione, her voice low and annoyed. Malfoy scowled at her

"Don't you dare talk to me mudb..." Rachel intervened "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you" her voice was calm and her eyes were empty of emotion as she stared up into Malfoy's own eyes. Malfoy shifted slightly in surprise

"You're a Rothern? Why on earth are you protecting someone like her?" he pointed at Hermione when he spat out the last of his sentence, Rachel grinned though amusement didn't reach her eyes

"Whoever said she was the one I was protecting? I'm simply stopping you from getting yourself hurt Malfoy" Ron, Harry and quite a few Gryffindor students either grinned or giggled at the look on Malfoy's face as it turned from frightened to indignant.

The sound of coughing attracted everyone's attention from the fuming Slytherin towards Hagrid, who was sporting a massive smile and dead ferrets around his shoulders. He pointed his arms at the approaching creature "Ta daaaa" he beamed as a gorgeous creature, with the hind legs and tail of a horse, front long legs and proud face of an eagle and soft wings of the same bird attached to its shoulders trotted into the small opening in the forest.

"Isn't he beautiful? Say hello to Buck Beak" the proud tone in his voice exuberated from him as he threw the creature a dead ferret which he eagerly caught between his beak.

"Hagrid exactly what is that?" curiousity mixed with awe laced Ron's voice as he and the rest of the students watched the animal finish his snack.

"That there Ron is a Hippogriff, a very proud creature. You do not want to insult a Hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you ever do" a warning tone entered his voice before vanishing upon his next question "Now, who would like to touch him?"

All of the students took at least two steps back at the suggestion except for Harry who stared at the creature with awe and Rachel who had perched herself on the tree stump, watching the scene unfold before her.

"Well done Harry. Well done" Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he immediately twisted his head to see that the rest of the class had indeed left him to be sacrificed. Rachel grinned at his discomfort while he offered a nervous smile at her before stepping forward hesitantly. Within a matter of five tense minutes Hagrid had guided Harry through gaining Buck Beaks respect by bowing and had him on the Hippogriffs back, much to Harry's displeasure.

"No wait! Wait! Ahhhhhhh!" Harry's cry of fear echoed throughout the grounds as Buck Beak launched himself into the air with Harry gripping tightly to his neck. Hermione watched as Harry and Buck Beak flew away from the class with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry he'll be fine" laughed Ron as he cast a quick glance in her direction before searching the sky once again for Harry. Hagrid approached Rachel as she opened her book and looked up the chapter on Hippogriffs.

"So how am I doing on me first day?" he asked quietly so the other students didn't hear him. He had always had a soft spot for the youngest Rothern, she had a kind disposition and had spent many a time with him in his little hut, listening to him talk and giving her own opinion on magical creatures.

"You're doing brilliantly...Professor" her smile and encouragement lightened his heart a bit and he offered her his trademark grin.

"Though I do think Harry will be more grateful to feel the ground again" she chuckled lightly. Hermione approached Rachel as Hagrid turned his attention to other students who were asking him questions.

"So what are you reading?" asked Hermione as she sat on the tree stump next to Rachel.

"Here" offered Rachel as she handed over her book.

"I was researching more about the Hippogriffs; turns out that they're a unique breed of magical animal that was created in America around the early 20th Century and were brought over to Britain by their creator John..." Hermione listened as Rachel spoke enthusiastically about the Hippogriff's, enjoying how her usually calm eyes sparkled with purpose and excitement as she explained the origins of the strange creature.

"You sound just like Hagrid" giggled Hermione causing the young Rothern to smile slightly.

"Something both me and Hagrid have in common".

Hermione grinned "Magical creatures?" Rachel nodded.

"There's just something honest and admirable about creatures that intrigues me" Rachel looked up as Buck Beak landed gracefully near them with a windswept Harry grinning like a fool on his back. Hagrid walked up to Buck Beak and helped Harry off of his back before giving him a treat. As the two were talking Rachel watched as Malfoy arrogantly strutted up to the magnificent creature

"You're not dangerous at all are you little feathered..." Hagrid stood up to his full figure.

"Malfoy don't..." he started but Buck Beak was already rearing back onto his haunches before lashing out with its front leg, slicing into Malfoy's arm as he rose it to defend himself. Rachel jumped off of the tree stump and made a move to help Hagrid calm the distressed animal. Hermione and the rest of the students looked on in fear as Rachel approached the creature from the side; Buck Beak turned his head towards the ebony haired youth and immediately fell back onto its front legs. Hagrid watched in fascination as Buck Beak approached Rachel with ease

"Hagrid you need to take Malfoy to Madame Pomphrey" Hermione stated as she overcame her shock at watching Rachel and Buck Beak interact.

"Yeah you're right, class dismissed" he grabbed a hold of Malfoy as he whinged in pain, throwing curses at the animal as he was carried away by Hagrid. "This isn't going to end well" muttered Harry while Rachel calmed Buck Beak by caressing his feathered head, dread settling over her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Right time for a tiny bit of character development I think.

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 4 – Professor Lupin and the Bogart

The class watched as the wardrobe before them shifted as something inside battled against its wooden doors.

"Intriguing isn't it?" asked Professor Lupin as he stood at the back of the classroom behind his students.

"Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" Lupin asked as he walked past his students so he could stand in front of them.

"A Bogart sir" answered Rachel as she stood in the middle of the group inbetween Harry and Ron.

"Very good Miss Rothern, now can anyone tell me what a Bogart looks like?"

"No one knows" all the students turned their attention to Hermione.

"When did you get here?" questioned Ron in shock as he was quite certain that Hermione hadn't been standing next to him a few minutes ago or in fact had even been in the class when they entered. However, Hermione ignored his question and continued with her explanation

"Bogart's are shape-shifters and take the shape of whatever a person fears the most. That's what makes them so..."

Lupin nodded "So terrifying" he finished for her. As Lupin continued his explanation Rachel couldn't help by stare at Hermione with curiousity, Rachel knew for a fact Hermione hadn't entered the class when it had begun and it seemed she had quite literally appeared out of thin air. "Ridikkulus" Rachel quickly focused on the lesson; her curiousity would have to wait.

"A little louder and speak very clear please. Rid-ik-kulus" the class once again repeated the incantation.

"Very good but what really finishes a Bogart is not just the incantation, you need to force it to assume the shape of something truly amusing" the confusion on the faces of his students made him smile slightly.

"Allow me to demonstrate...Neville would you join me please" the timid Longbottom boy approached the professor; his hesitation to do so was linked to his shyness as a person.

"Neville what frightens you?" asked Lupin as he bowed slightly to catch the boy's eyes.

"Professor Snape" he answered quietly, causing laughter to ripple through the classroom.

"Yes, he frightens all" Lupin agreed with a smile on his face.

"And I've heard you live with your grandmother" fear entered the boys brown eyes "Yes but I don't want it to turn into her either" a few chuckles were heard coming from the class. Lupin shook his head before approaching the boy and whispering something into his ear. Neville nodded. Lupin nodded his head.

"Just picture it in your mind Neville" Lupin stood behind the boy.

"Wand at the ready" Neville pulled out his wand and watched as Professor Lupin unlocked the wardrobe with a flick of his wand. The door creaked open and a pale, long fingered hand grabbed onto the door frame as the perfect replica of Severus Snape emerged from within.

"Concentrate Neville" encouraged Lupin from behind the young boy as the Bogart approached. Neville frowned in determination "Ridikkulus" he commanded as he flicked his outstretched wand at 'Snape'. The black robed potions master immediately found himself trapped in old-women's clothing and the target of the uproarious laughter from the class.

"Excellent Neville, well done indeed, you see all you have to do is picture something amusing in your mind while you speak the incantation" laughed Lupin as he approached his desk. A jazz theme filled the room, with heavy saxophone notes and fast drums.

"Right now form a line and everyone can have a turn" Lupin instructed as he sat on his desk and watched Ron be the first candidate to take on the Bogart. He was proud of how Ron faced his fear and conquered the giant spider that appeared despite how terrified the boy looked; it showed great courage on his part.

Lupin watched a few more students face down the Bogart, observed as it turned into a giant cobra, an inferno and even a floating syringe with a foot long needle point. But to their credit each one of the students faced down their fears. Now it was Harry Potter's turn and Lupin felt a great curiousity stir within him; just what exactly did the Boy-Who-Lived fear? The Bogart hesitated before taking the form of a Dementor and swooping down on Harry as the boy lost his grin.

Before Lupin could even react Miss Rothern intervened; pulling Harry back by the shoulder and standing in front of him to face the Dementor with her wand outstretched. The Dementor stilled and everyone held their breath in horror. Mere seconds felt like hours to everyone else before the Bogart shifted forms once again and became the very person it stared at. Lupin watched in concern as hate formed in her pale blue eyes as she stared at her reflection, only it wasn't exactly her reflection. This 'Rachel' wore the green and silver robes of the Slytherin house and a vile grin plastered her smooth face while her blue eyes had turned a translucent blue. Quicker than anyone could blink the real Rachel flicked her wand and commanded in a clear voice

"Expelliarmus!" The clone was struck by a silver shard of energy and propelled back into the wardrobe, the door closing and locking itself of its own accord. Rachel relaxed her posture, staring thoughtfully at the wardrobe.

Harry, Ron and Hermione cast each other worried glances while the rest of the class whispered amongst themselves and Lupin approached his students.

"Right well that's enough for today. Go and collect your things class is over." Upon hearing Lupin's voice Rachel was snapped from her thoughts. Turning around four pairs of eyes all filled with concern looked back at her as the other students filed out of the classroom. Sighing to herself she began to walk away from them, her eyes downcast.

"Rachel wait" Hermione pleaded as she rushed up to the ebony haired teen before she walked down the stairs. Stopping, Rachel tilted her head to the side and acknowledged the bushy haired bookworm.

"Are you alright?" asked Hermione, silently hoping the girl would open up to her. A sad smile stretched across Rachel's flawless face before she nodded silently and continued down the stairs; pushing their concern from her mind as she disappeared into her own thoughts. Hermione stared at Rachel's back as she walked away, a cold dread forming over her heart as she recalled the hatred laced with fear in Rachel's eyes when she stared at her clone mere moments ago.

"Bloody hell Harry, that's the second time she's put herself in harms way because of you" stated Ron from behind her. Professor Lupin inquired as to what the first time involved and as Harry and Ron began their explanation the dread in Hermione's heart escalated as an epiphany raced across her mind. Rachel Rothern hates and fears herself. Rachel Rothern has twice put her life at risk. Rachel Rothern was in danger of herself. Hermione quickly sprinted after the mysterious witch, fearful of her friend's mental state and hopeful that what she dreaded had not come to pass at the young Rotherns own hands.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay here we go again. Always nice to hear from someone so thank you Fumes43 for reviewing.

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 5 – Sirius Black in Hogwarts

Rachel sat alone at a study table within Hogwarts library; a book open in front of her yet her eyes remained firmly fixed on staring at the book rather than reading its contents. The rest of her year had gone off to Hogsmeade Village. Well, everyone except a certain Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. Harry she could understand not going, his permission slip hadn't been signed and McGonagall as always stuck to school policy and wouldn't allow him to go. But Hermione was a whole different issue. Rachel was more than aware that Hermione was searching for her after she had practically ran away from the brainy bookworm and yet the concern in those kind brown eyes had stirred something within her heart that scared her more than the Bogart.

It had been a very long time since anyone had genuinely worried about her and to find concern expressed so freely was disturbing and ever so slightly comforting for the witch. Rachel snorted as a tiny flicker of hope sparked in her heart. There was no point in hoping to find companionship, everyone knew exactly what she was, a **Rothern. **Rotherns are selfish, cruel and merciless by nature and no one in their right mind would befriend someone so twisted by her family. Her family, her father to be more specific was as verbally degrading as he was arrogant and took every opportunity to try and bend Rachel to his way of thinking.

And as the years went by the degradation became common place from not only her father but her brothers, uncles, aunts etc. She simply wasn't strong enough to be a Rothern. She was against everything they stood for and that made her weak in her family's eyes. They were a pure-blood, Slytherin family whose morals revolved around gaining as much power as possible regardless of the cost and to have one of their own in Gryffindor house alone proved just how different Rachel was.

No Rothern in the family's entire history had been anything but a Slytherin. Rachel frowned angrily at herself; a small part of her desired to be like them, to be accepted by the very people who were meant to love her and to conform to their ways. That was the part of herself she feared and hated at the same time.

"There you are" Rachel blinked as she was knocked from her thoughts. Turning her eyes up, she was greeted by a familiar person. Hermione gave her a small smile.

"Is it okay if I sit with you?" she asked. Rachel noticed that she was carrying at least two books with her, nodding her head the smile widened slightly and Hermione seated herself opposite Rachel. Placing the books on the table Hermione watched as Rachel returned to staring at the book in front of her. She certainly wasn't going to make this easy; Hermione had seen the anger flitter across Rachel's face mere moments ago and Hermione's concern spiked once again. Glancing up briefly to look at the girl in front of her Rachel noticed the brown haired girls concern.

"You don't need to be concerned about me you know" stated Rachel as cast her eyes down towards her book. Hermione sighed.

"I can't help it, Rachel why did you save Harry from the Bogart?" Hermione wanted more than anything to understand the girl in front of her, something compelled her to try to understand but she just couldn't put her finger exactly what it was. Rachel's jaw tightened.

"Dementors are among the worst creatures in the Wizard world Hermione; I couldn't just stand by and leave Harry to face one alone" Hermione frowned.

"You could've been hurt" a grim smile set on Rachel's pale face.

"Better me than him, besides I like chatting to Miss Pomphrey" her attempt at a joke forced the frown on Hermione's face to deepen.

"This isn't funny Rachel" The smile left Rachel's face and a blank look settled on her features. Silence reigned over them for a few minutes. Hermione waiting for Rachel's response while the young Rothern battled with herself. _Should I ask why she suddenly cares so much?_ The fear of her answer made Rachel re-think, _what if Hermione tells me she doesn't care? She wouldn't be the first._ Looking back up at Hermione Rachel could still see her concern. _Would she be concerned if she was merely curious? _Frowning at her own in-decision Rachel decided to ask her, if only to put a halt to her own indecisiveness.

"Why do you care so much Hermione?" the confusion that swept across her face made Rachel elaborate further.

"Why? It was your friend I protected so I would've thought you would be more relieved that he hadn't been hurt than concerned about me" when silence was all that answered her save for Hermione's confused expression Rachel sighed.

"Forget I said anything, it doesn't matter" the youngest Rothern stood up and started to collect her books.

"Because I want to be your friend" Hermione's quiet answer shocked Rachel. The shock must've been apparent on her face because Hermione began to explain herself.

"I just want to be your friend, I think your funny when you want to be and more intelligent than you appear to others. It would be nice to have a friend who isn't a dim-witted boy" Rachel stilled, a few moments of silence and contemplation on Rachel's part past. The girl appeared genuine; she truly just wanted to be her friend. A small grin formed on her face; her mother had always taught her that everyone deserved a chance.

"Alright then" sitting back down the two began a conversation. Hermione spoke about various topics, her family, the adventures she had with Ron and Harry, the hilarious antics of the boys which often left her scolding them and many other things while Rachel listened with quiet enthusiasm.

The two girls made their way to Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione chatting happily to Rachel as they travelled. The young Granger was thrilled to have made at least some progress with her relationship with Rachel. They ran into Harry and Ron on the changing staircases where Ron was happily chatting to Harry about his Hogsmeade trip. As they climbed the stairs they both noticed the forming crowd outside of the entrance to Gryffindor tower.

"What do you think is going on?" asked Hermione,

"Neville probably forgot the password again" offered Ron from behind them.

"Hey" Neville spoke out in indignation from behind three more Gryffindor students. As the staircase halted the sound of Percy Weasley demanding that people let him through could be heard over everyone's chatter. Ginny Weasley approached them from the top of the stairs.

"It's the Fat Lady. She's gone" Confusion swam across Rachel's face as she made her way to the top of the stairs. The painting was torn in three different places by what appeared to be claw marks.

"Serves her right, she was a terrible singer." Everyone stepped to the side as the Headmaster strode up the stairs, followed closely by Argus Filch. As Dumbledore observed the ruined painting Filch searched the other paintings.

"There" stated Filch as he spotted the Fat Lady in a different painting. Everyone turned to where he was pointing and immediately followed Dumbledore as he almost ran up a different staircase. As the elderly Headmaster halted the Fat Lady emerged from behind a grazing hippo inside the painting.

"Dear Lady who did this to you?" asked Dumbledore softly. The Fat Lady whimpered.

"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as black as his name. It's him Headmaster, the one they all talk about. He's here somewhere in the castle. Serious Black!" Hermione and Ron looked up at Harry as Dumbledore ordered everyone back to their dormitories, Filch to secure the school premises and for Gryffindor students to go to the main hall. As everyone filtered off the stairs Rachel looked down at Harry, the sliver of fear in the eyes of his friends as they stared at him suggested that the appearance of Azkaban's escapee was a personal threat to the Boy-Who-Lived.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 6 – Hogsmeade

Autumn quickly turned to winter and soft snow covered the concrete streets of Hogsmeade. With Christmas fast approaching and Hogwarts students filling the streets and shops the atmosphere was uplifting and cheerful. It appeared that, even for only a little while, people could ignore the numerous wanted posters that covered the notice boards, walls and newspapers, all asking for the capture of Sirius Black. Roughly half a mile up a hill that led away from the cheerful little village Ron and Hermione had opted to seek out the Shrieking Shack. They would've brought Rachel with them but the poor thing had been cornered by Luna Lovegood and being the softie that Hermione knew her to be she had agreed to accompany the young RavenClaw about the village. The ebony haired Rothern had thrown Hermione an apologetic smile before being dragged off into the village. Ron and Hermione had both shared a laugh about the torture Luna was probably putting Rachel through. Once they reached the fencing that surrounded the tourist attraction their conversation grew more serious.

"So how have you been Hermione?" asked Ron as he leaned on the wooden fence and looked at the deteriorating black house that was the Shrieking Shack. The bushy brunette lent against the fence also,

"I've been alright Ron, you know the usual doing homework, studying in the library etc" The ginger Weasley nodded in understanding

"You spend a lot of time in the library with Rachel don't ya?" he asked, still staring at the Shrieking Shack. Hermione smiled softly; she and Rachel did have something in common. They both liked to read. Although while Hermione would read great tomes of knowledge that would help her with her classes Rachel would often be caught reading about myths and legends.

"Yes I guess we do spend a fair amount of time together in the library" Ron nodded and a slightly sickly feeling grew in his stomach at the smile on her face as she talked about Rachel. However, before he could acknowledge the feeling let alone act on it a certain blonde haired, Slytherin git decided to approach them closely followed by his two goons.

"Well well look who's here" Malfoy began with his sickly arrogant voice "You two shopping for your dream home? Bit out of your price range isn't it Weasel-beat?" Ron's face tinted itself red as he grew embarrassed by Malfoy's comment about him and Hermione being together.

"Shut your mouth Malfoy" he murmured, his voice slightly muffled by his scarf. Malfoy grinned

"Not very friendly today is he? Boys I think we should teach him how to respect his superiors" the smugness in his voice incensed Hermione.

"I hope you aren't talking about yourself" she scoffed while frowning at him. Malfoy glared at Hermione.

"Shut it Mudblood, Rothern isn't here to protect you this time" As Hermione glared up at the pompous, obnoxious Slytherin a snowball collided with the side of his face. Shocked the two stepped back from one another and searched for the thrower of said snowball. Upon finding no one Malfoy frowned in confusion.

"W-Who was that?" he demanded.

As they all looked up in the direction the snowball came from another one formed in mid-air and was thrown at Malfoy, this one hit him straight in the face. As more and more snowballs flew at them from an invincible source Hermione giggled. Crabbe's trousers suddenly dropped down to his ankles while Goyle's hat was pulled over his eyes. Malfoy tripped over his own feet and was quickly being pulled towards the Shrieking Shack; his whimpers of fear caused more giggles to erupt from Ron and Hermione before the boy's legs were dropped and he jumped to his feet and ran away back towards Hogsmeade, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione laughed outright at the expression of horror on Ron's face

"Harry" she chuckled and Harry pulled off his dad's invisibility cloak.

"Bloody hell Harry, that was not funny" moaned Ron as the two continued to laugh.

The trio made the way back into Hogsmeade village,

"Bloody gits! They never told me about any Marauder's map" complained Ron after Harry informed them of Fred and George's generosity with a map that could tell the reader who was in Hogwarts castle. Hermione grinned as the two boys discussed what they could do in Hogsmeade, Ron more than happy to tell Harry all of the interesting things about the village. Hermione caught sight of Rachel, Luna and some other RavenClaws, though they were heading in away from them. As if feeling Hermione's eyes on her, Rachel turned her head and glanced at the brunette. Rachel smiled warmly and waved, Hermione briefly waved back before Rachel was pulled into a bookshop by one of Luna's friends.

"Isn't that McGonagall? And the Minister?" asked Ron. All three of them looked towards Hogsmeade tavern; indeed it was McGonagall and the Minister talking to the tavern owner, Madame Rosmerta. From the looks of it the tavern owner wasn't happy with the Minister judging by her aggressive stance and when he leaned forward and whispered something her exclamation gave away their conversation

"Harry Potter?" she questioned loudly before being ushered into the tavern.

Apprehension formed on Hermione's face, she turned to warn Harry not to follow but the raven haired teen was no longer standing next to her. Ron and Hermione quickly took notice of the forming trail of footsteps in the snow, their owner invisible to the world.

"Crap" muttered Ron as he and Hermione chased after the invisible teen. The door to the tavern opened of its own accord and the duo only just caught it as it was about to shut

"No underage wizards allowed in 'ere!" squealed shrunken heads that hung in a cluster against a bar post "Yeah clear off!" Hermione frowned and shook her head in annoyance

"So rude" she complained as she and Ron closed the door. They wandered over to a bench that was located just outside the pub

"So we wait?" asked Ron in uncertainty.

Hermione sat on the bench "We wait" she said with finality.

Rachel glanced out of one of the bookshops many windows on its first floor. She smiled softly as her gaze settled on Hermione and Ron. Luna watched from the corner of her eye as emotions danced across Rachel's usually cold blue eyes, the softness of her expression and slight tilt upwards of her lips were only tiny hints of her true emotions. Luna had always suspected that Rachel had a soft side to her nature despite her tendency to keep people at an arm's length but it seemed that Hermione had indeed melted some of the ice she had created around her heart. Now, the youngest Rothern was most endearing to befriend. Luna walked forward to stand next to the teen. Rachel was fairly tall for a female of her age and nearly stood a full head taller than Luna. Following her line of sight Luna smiled dreamily

"Hermione's a good friend" stated Luna, Rachel nodded in agreement

"She is" condoned Rachel.

"You care a lot about her don't you?" the question caused Rachel to turn her head and look Luna in the eyes, telling her she now had her full attention

"It's obvious by the way you're so quick to defend her when others say harmful things about her" Luna was of course referring to the incident that occurred a few hours ago between Rachel and a few Slytherins. Rachel snorted

"There's no need for such cruelty in the world" Rachel whispered before looking away from Luna's imploring sky blue eyes

"I agree" Luna stated.

"She is a very intelligent witch. No doubt the brightest witch of our generation" Rachel frowned as she watched Hermione and Ron sprint away from the tavern with concern written across their faces

"I've got to go. Sorry Luna" apologised Rachel before sprinting towards the stairs. Luna watched her run towards the stairs and vanish down them to the bottom level, a knowing smile on her pale face.

Hermione and Ron waited patiently for Harry to make an appearance. After a short amount of time Hermione turned her head towards the sound of the tavern door opening, when no one walked out of the building her eyes were attracted to the quickly forming footsteps in the snow

"Ron. Look." The boy next to her looked to where she was pointing

"Come on" stated Hermione as she got up and gave chase, followed closely by Ron. They chased after Harry. They eventually ran into a small clearing in the forest that surrounded Hogsmeade, Hermione slowed down from running into a cautious walk before stopping entirely. The source of quiet sobbing seemed to be coming from the fallen tree that lay dead on the snow covered ground. Ron turned his gaze to Hermione, silently asking what they should do. As Hermione approached where they assumed Harry was Rachel came to a halt next to Ron.

"What's happened?" she asked quietly as she watched Hermione kneel in front of the log before reaching out for something. Ron shrugged

"We don't know" he answered as Hermione pulled the invisibility cloak off of Harry's shaking form. Both Ron and Rachel approached Harry as the young raven haired boy sobbed quietly.

"Harry what happened?" asked Hermione softly. After a few moments Harry looked up at Hermione

"Sirius Black...betrayed my parents. Killed one of their friends when he tried to warn my...my parents that they had been betrayed." The sorrow in his eyes quickly turned to anger and hate

"I hope he finds me. 'Cause when he does I'm gonna kill him!" Hermione tilted her head to look back at Ron and Rachel, her face displaying how helpless she felt.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 7 – The Patronus Charm and Quidditch

Nearly a week into the new school term Harry and Rachel were told by Professor McGonagall that Professor Lupin wished to see them in his office. Curious as to what the Professor wanted to discuss with them they hurried to his office from the Great Hall.

"So what do you think Professor Lupin wants to talk to us about?" asked Harry as he walked next to Rachel, she shrugged.

"I'm not sure, I don't think we're failing his class so it can't be about our grades" Harry nodded in agreement. Upon reaching the door to his office Harry knocked twice.

"Come in!" came Lupin's voice from inside the room, Rachel opened the door and entered alongside Harry.

"Ah Rachel Rothern and Harry Potter come in come in" acknowledged the professor as he sat behind his desk, looking up as they approached with a grim smile on his face

"How were your holiday's?" he asked. Harry smiled

"Mine was great Sir" he answered as memories of Christmas with the Weasleys danced through his mind "Uneventful" answered Rachel. Lupin nodded

"Right. Well I suppose you're both wondering as to why your here" Lupin stood from his seat and circled around his desk before leaning back onto it.

"Dumbledore has asked me to teach the pair of you more defensive magic seeing as Dementors have taken a liking to you" Rachel offered only a blank stare whereas Harry nodded in acceptance, if Dumbledore thought that it was important for them to learn then that was good enough for him.

"What lessons do you have going on now?" asked Lupin as he turned his full attention onto the young Rothern "None" she answered.

Lupin nodded "And you Harry?" he turned his head to Harry

"I have potions now with Snape" Lupin again nodded

"Well Harry you best be off to your lesson now and I'll begin with Miss Rothern. We'll arrange a different time for your lesson" Harry nodded in understanding before departing the room.

"Now Miss Rothern the spell I am going to try and teach you today is called the Patronus Charm. Have you ever heard of it?" Rachel shook her head

"Right well come with me and we'll go into an empty classroom to practice it" Lupin strode past Rachel and she turned to follow him.

"The Patronus is a form of powerful magic well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level" Lupin looked at Rachel the entire time, studying her reaction, when none came he continued to talk as they walked down the corridor.

"The Patronus is a kind of positive force and for the witch or wizard who can conjure one it acts as a shield against the Dementors. Ah here we are" Lupin halted in front of an old metal door. Rachel followed him inside and observed the classroom. It was empty of desks and chairs and had great stain class windows to the left of her that luminated the room. Lupin walked over to the windows and pulled their curtains, darkening the room.

"Right move to the centre of the room please" he instructed and Rachel obeyed.

"In order for you to pull off a successful Patronus you need to focus on a happy memory while conjuring, a very powerful memory. Do you think you can do that?" Rachel nodded as she pulled out her wand from her robes

"Okay concentrate on a memory and when it fills you speak the incantation 'Expecto Potronum'."

Hermione looked up from her book as Rachel walked into the Gryffindor Common Room; she smiled warmly at the raven haired teen as she sat down next to her on the red leather couch in front of the fireplace

"So how was your lesson with Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked as she closed the book in her lap and looked at Rachel curiously

"Interesting. He's teaching me the Patronus Charm" Hermione nodded. Rachel observed the brunette next to her as a thoughtful look claimed Hermione's face; her eyes were distant as she looked off to the side. As Rachel opened her mouth to ask Hermione what she was thinking Ron and Harry charged down the stairs from the boys dormitory and sprinted over to Rachel

"Come on Rachel we've got a rematch with Slytherin" before Rachel could even form a reply for Harry, Ron had already grabbed a hold of her wrists and was nearly dragging her out of the Common Room. Harry and Hermione grinned as they watched Rachel retract her wrists forcefully from Ron's grip and wait for the other two to catch up

"Someone's excited" she murmured as she watched the jubilant Weasley near enough bounce down the corridor as they made their way to the pitch. The four teens chatted to each other, the boys planning how to celebrate Gryffindor's soon victory over their rivals whereas Hermione chatted to Rachel about her latest lesson with Professor Snape

"It was strange. He all of a sudden started teaching us about werewolves. We're not supposed to be learning about for at least three months" Rachel nodded in agreement; it was strange for Snape to jump to a different topic, especially when he is covering for a teacher and what with him being a real hard arse for sticking to a schedule.

As Harry and Rachel approached the intersection of corridors Harry said his goodbye to everyone before walking towards the Quidditch changing room and Ron nearly sprinted out of the building towards the Quidditch pitch. Rachel turned to go to the female changing room before she felt something latch onto her wrist with a soft but firm grip, turning she was met with concerned brown eyes.

"Hermione you okay?" Hermione nodded slowly.

"Just...be careful out there. Please" Rachel quickly masked the shock that bubbled within her and smiled softly at the brunette's concern.

"I'll be fine. I promise" the relief that shone in Hermione's eyes warmed her heart. Hermione soon realised that she was still holding onto to Rachel's wrist and quickly released it with a forming blush on her face.

"W-Well...have fun out there" encouraged Hermione before she all but ran away from the ebony haired Rothern, leaving Rachel slightly confused.

It was the perfect day for Quidditch. The sky was clear, the day was warm and everyone was ready to settle the score with Slytherin. Rachel passed the quaffle to James Woods, a fellow Chaser as they raced down the pitch toward Slytherins three rings, James nodded at Rachel and they put their plan into action. As a Slytherin Chaser flew straight at James from in front of him; Rachel sped forwards and caught the quaffle that James had launched over the Slytherin boy's head. A bludger came out of nowhere and would've collided with Rachel's head if she didn't spin 360 degrees on her broomstick to avoid it. She narrowly dodged two more Slytherin chasers before passing the quaffle to Charlotte Stone who threw the quaffle through one of the goal posts. The Gryffindor team and supporters cheered happily as Charlotte backed away from the goal and high fived James and Rachel.

The Slytherin Captain glared at the retreating trio, he glanced back at three of his teammates as they floated behind him "Let's do it" he barked before catching the quaffle as it was passed to him and speeding down the pitch. Rachel noticed the glare of hatred the Slytherin Captain sent their way before frowning in concern.

"Watch yourselves!" she warned to her teammates before she and Charlotte pressed forward. The bludger came from the side and nearly knocked Charlotte from her broomstick as it cut in front of her, she became unsteady on her broomstick and the Slytherin Captain grinned as he shoved his way past her.

Rachel's eyes widened in horror as Charlotte fell from her broom and plummeted towards the ground. The gasps from the crowd were mere whispers in Rachel's ears as she tilted her broom downwards and chased after Charlotte. She cut through the air like a bullet, grabbing onto Charlotte's broom as it fell and quickly handed the broom to her in mid-air. Charlotte pulled the broom underneath her and was once again flying through the air. "

Thanks Rachel" she happily thanked and smiled at the young teen. The game carried on with the scores being even and the Slytherins playing dirty. The bludger seemed to have developed a mind of its own and spent most of its time chasing after Rachel. The young Rothern out-manoeuvred the speeding balls with difficulty; they both seemed to attack her at the same time leaving little room for movement that wouldn't result in serious injury. Finally managing to shake them off she intercepted a pass between Slytherin chasers and sped towards the goal

"Rachel!" yelled Charlotte, upon noticing her better position to score Rachel threw the quaffle at her before cheers of applause roared throughout the pitch.

"Harry Potter's caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" cheered the commentator above the crowd. Rachel grinned up at Harry and clapped as the grinning boy held in his hand the golden Snitch. Charlotte held onto the quaffle underneath her arm and clapped with everyone else. As nearly everyone looked at Harry Potter, no one, not even Rachel, noticed the speeding bludger heading towards her before it was too late.

"RACHEL!" screamed Hermione in horror.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 8 – Injury and Heart to Hearts

Coal black eyes twinkled in delight as Rachel clutched at her side in agony while still holding onto her broomstick. The spell he had placed on the bludger had worked perfectly. As the young witch sat hunched forward on her broomstick only his keen vision caught the drops of blood that dripped out of her mouth and onto the grass beneath her. A small smile stretched across his mouth, pride rising within him at the success of his plan. Rachel grimaced in pain as she kept her arm firmly wrapped around her torso, tilting her head upwards she caught sight of the bludger shooting back towards her. The force of the initial blow had knocked her into a different angle and now she was facing the infuriating object. She pulled her broom to the side; attempting to avoid another encounter but at the last minute Hermione's voice shouted

"Finite Incantarum!" and the rogue bludger burst into flames and spark in mid-air. Hermione lowered her wand with an angry frown on her face but the anger bled into concern as she approached with Harry, Ron, Professors McGonagall and Pomphrey. The Gryffindor Chaser lowered herself to the ground and struggled to get off her broom. As she stood upright she forced her face to show indifference.

"Oh my dear that bludger really hit you. Are you in pain?" asked the Hogwarts nurse as she reached out for the young teen. Rachel shifted away from the nurse's hand and smiled,

"I'm fine. It looked worse than it actually was" how she managed to keep her face from showing the agony she was in was a mystery to her.

"Still you should come with me and get checked out. You might have cracked or even broken ribs" Rachel shook her head,

"It's really not necessary" _Liar_. Her entire left side was flaring dangerously and pain stabbed at her chest every time she inhaled but she wouldn't show it. While both of the Professors tried to make Rachel go to the infirmary to be checked out Hermione watched Rachel with concern in her eyes, her friend was horribly tense and was breathing deeply, as if she were concentrating on something. After various attempts to convince her, Rachel sighed before walking away from everyone,

"I'm fine" she threw over her shoulder before walking towards the changing rooms.

"Do any of you know who's responsible for this?" asked the elderly Gryffindor Head as she turned her attention to the trio on the pitch.

"No Professor" Harry answered. Ron nodded his head in agreement with Harry and when McGonagall looked at Hermione the bushy brunette answered quietly,

"No Professor". The elderly woman nodded slowly in acceptance before turning and departing from the pitch "I'm going to check on Rachel" stated Hermione and before either of the boys could say anything she was storming towards the female changing rooms.

Rachel grunted in pain as she lifted her Gryffindor robe over her head, as soon as the red and gold robe was off of her she collapsed against one of the changing room walls clutching her torso. Her black tank top clung to her chest and stomach like a second skin. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she breathed heavily.

"Rachel?" the ebony haired witch cursed under her breath.

"Rachel you need to see Madame Pomphrey" stated Hermione as she walked around the injured teen so she could stand in front of her. Rachel began to breathe harder as the colour drained from her already pale face.

"No...I need to lie down" Hermione barely caught the taller girl as she fell forward, Rachel cried out in pain as her ribs were jarred painfully as Hermione's arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"You need help" pleaded Hermione as she helped ease Rachel onto one of the changing room's wooden benches. Rachel shook her head as she leaned against the wall.

"Can you...get me my wand...please" Hermione nodded slowly before leaving to retrieve the wand that Rachel always kept in her bag. Rachel clutched at her side while frowning,

"Stupid prick" she muttered underneath her breath, damning the person she knew was behind the rogue bludger. Hermione approached with Rachel's black wand held firmly in her right hand. Sitting next to Rachel on the bench Hermione handed over the wand.

"Thank you" whispered Rachel before smiling at the brunette in gratitude. Closing her eyes she pointed her wand towards her ribs.

"Repairo" she whispered and the sound of bones cracking and realigning themselves forced Hermione to cringe at the sound and Rachel to grunt in pain as she felt her bones shifting beneath her skin. Realising a breath she didn't even know she was holding onto Rachel turned her sweat drenched face towards Hermione.

"Sorry about that" her apology was met with a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her neck. Rachel's heart skipped a beat as she felt soft lips brush against her pulse as Hermione buried her face against her.

"Hermione?" whispered Rachel in concern. The young Rothern felt her neck grow damp, guilt immediately formed within her heart since she was responsible for Hermione's tears,

"Don't cry. Please don't cry" pleaded Rachel as she turned and wrapped her arms around her friend. She ignored the stinging sensation in her ribs as she held onto Hermione.

"I'm sorry" she whispered into Hermione's hair.

Her apology seemed to stir something within the brunette as she pulled away and almost glared at Rachel with an emotion that Rachel was more than familiar with.

"Sorry? You're sorry? Do you have any idea how frightened you made me?" upon receiving only guilty blue eyes Hermione continued her rant,

"I watched that bludger hit you Rachel. I saw you in so much pain and you just passed it off as nothing. How could you lie to us? Do you think we're incapable of helping you? Do we mean so little to you?" the last accusation clawed at her heart,

"No. Oh God no you all mean everything to me" argued Rachel. The sarcastic chuckle that parted from Hermione's lips brought Rachel's heart to a near stop "Then why did you leave us in the lurch to go and collapse in pain somewhere alone?" the question sparked a panic within Rachel. She had to be honest or she risked losing Hermione's friendship. God she hated being backed into a corner.

"Well Rachel?" the blue eyed Rothern frowned as she struggled to find the right words, would it be better to lose Hermione's friendship than admit to something she would rather keep hidden? Looking up at Hermione, the tears that stained her face as she waited for an answer made Rachel doubt herself. Looking away Rachel sighed in defeat,

"I...I don't know how to handle it" Hermione's expression turned to one of confusion

"Excuse me?" Rachel closed her eyes and sighed once again.

"I don't know how to...how to handle people actually caring about me" Shit. Now Hermione was going to think her a complete idiot.

"I've always been the outcast so I don't know what to do or how to act when people get worried about me. I've always had to look after myself so..." Her heart was pounding against her ribs.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. Please don't think I think you're incapable of helping me. You're all amazing and I'm...I'm not worth all of this concern and tears" Rachel rubbed her forehead in frustration. Great now Hermione was definitely going to run a mile and brand her a lunatic.

"I know how you feel" Rachel stilled and turned her full attention to Hermione, confusion and shock apparent in her eyes and face. Hermione sighed before smiling softly.

"I know what it's like to feel like an outcast amongst your peers. I still get picked on you know for being too brainy" a thoughtful look came over her features,

"Even though I have Ron and Harry I still don't share in everything with them. We're quite different actually. They'll go gallivanting off getting into all sorts of trouble but personally I prefer peace and quiet to adventuring" Rachel smiled at that.

"But sometimes it hurts. Knowing that they've connected in a way I'll never be able to with them." The hurt look on her face compelled Rachel to say something to take the pain away

"You've got me" Rachel offered.

And with that simple statement the hurt vanished from Hermione's kind brown eyes and a smile of gratitude formed on her tanned face.

"Thank you" whispered Hermione softly before a teasing sternness entered her eyes.

"Though next time you're hurt you better listen to me or I'll put you in hospital myself" Rachel's eyes widened and mouth dropped open in mock horror

"You wouldn't" the evil glint in Hermione's eyes however made her seriously doubt it.


	9. Chapter 9

I know I didn't really provide much detail on who exactly the guy is who cursed the bludger or why he did, but it will all fall into place eventually. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 9 – Strange Feelings and Buckbeak's Sentence 

Rachel wandered down various corridors with no particular destination in mind; her eyes were unfocused and vacant while her mind occupied itself with her current situation. She couldn't help but wonder if her friendship with Hermione was a good idea. Lately Rachel had started to feel different towards the brunette.

Ever since the Quidditch match a few weeks ago and their heart to heart they had become virtually inseparable, even Ron was teasing them by offering to help remove the sticking charm that might of been placed on the pair of them. The little things that Hermione did Rachel seemed to be taking more notice of. For example, if Hermione was in deep concentration she would sometimes bite her lip as she mulled over the information. Rachel found herself enjoying making the young witch smile and laugh as of late, more so than anything actually.

Rachel smiled to herself as she thought of Hermione; she was truly something special. It was nice to have someone who could provide witty banter. It was nice to have someone intelligent enough to converse with for hours at a time, though to be fair Rachel was more than happy to listen to the brainy Gryffindor rather than actively partake in their conversations. For the last few days Rachel had been staring at Hermione when the brunette was unaware.

It wasn't an entirely conscious decision; it just seemed to happen when the bushy brunette popped into Rachel's thoughts and it had only been brought to her attention when Ginny asked what she was looking at.

Rachel frowned in thought, why now was she paying so much more attention to Hermione? Was it because Hermione was the first and only person to actually notice she was a person rather than just another Rothern? Anger filled her heart at the notion. How could she so damn flippant with her emotions? Acting like a clingy fan girl just because a wonderful human was being nice to her. How could she be so damn selfish? A small part of her wanted to spend as much time as possible in Hermione's company and as the days went by that small part was slowly growing.

But it hadn't occurred to her that maybe Hermione didn't want her there all the time. A twinge of pain pulled at her heart at the idea of Hermione not actually wanting her around. Rachel snorted. If she carried on with this train of thought she would be put in a foul mood for the rest of the day and it was only one in the afternoon. Standing still from her mindless wandering Rachel inhaled deeply then exhaled to clear her mind.

There was no point in jumping to stupid conclusions without proof, something her mother would always tell her. Her mother? Not exactly the best topic to calm herself down with. Sighing, Rachel continued down a corridor, this time with a destination in mind.

Hermione sat on the red leather sofa that was located in front of the Gryffindor Common Room fire place. Ron and Harry sat on the floor in front of her and all three were wearing the same expressions on their faces; frustration.

"They can't do it. They just can't" fumed Harry as he glared at the floor as if it had committed a grave offence. Ron sighed,

"Harry it's the flaming Malfoys, what did you expect?" Harry's frown deepened.

"Buckbeak didn't even do that much damage, if Malfoy had just listened to Hagrid then none of this would've happened" Ron nodded.

"You can't tell the bloody Malfoys anything" Both Harry and Hermione had to agree with Ron on that one.

"Still we should be there for Hagrid. I still can't believe that the Ministry has decided to do this but we should at least support Hagrid" both of the boys nodded in agreement with Hermione. They had all gone to meet the half-Giant near the lake once they found out that he had returned from the hearing. Hagrid had started off very calmly when informing them of the details but he was quickly reduced to tears once he got to the final decision. He choked on his words before telling them that his beloved Hippogriff had been sentenced to death. Though Hagrid was a sensitive man he quickly brushed away his tears and offered them all a watery grin before muttering something about tending to Fang and stomping away towards his hut. Harry looked up at Hermione,

"We should ask Rachel to come with us. Hagrid and Rachel have always got on so well and I think it'll be good for him" Hermione nodded with a small smile on her face as her thoughts drifted from the morbid subject of Buckbeak's execution and focused on her ebony haired friend. They had bonded over the last few weeks and she could honestly say she trusted Rachel almost as much as Harry and Ron.

"Hey Rachel" Harry's voice knocked Hermione from her thoughts and she turned her head towards the Common Room entrance. Her heart fluttered ever so slightly as she watched Rachel approach them with a smile on her face. However the smile quickly faded as she observed the morbid faces on Harry and Ron's faces.

"Something wrong?" she asked curiously as she sat next to Hermione. She turned her attention to Hermione as the brunette sighed.

"Buckbeak's trial was today and..." Rachel nodded. she had spoken to Hagrid last night about the trial

"...and he's been sentenced to die" Rachel turned her head towards the fireplace and frowned. Hermione watched as Rachel lost herself to her thoughts with curiousity; she wanted to know what she was thinking and how she felt.

"When's the execution?" asked Rachel suddenly.

"Tomorrow" answered Ron quietly.

"We should be there for Hagrid then" she stated before getting up from her seat. Hermione, Harry and Ron watched her movements.

"I'm going to go practice some Quidditch. I'll be on the field if you need me" The trio watched as she stalked out of the Common Room with concern in their eyes

"Think one of us should go talk to her?" asked Ron.

"Yeah in a bit. Let her vent on her own for a while first though" offered Harry.

The youngest Rothern inhaled deeply as she floated in mid-air above the Quidditch goal posts. Dressed in black/white converses, simple black jeans and a tight fitting red, long sleeved top she felt like just a normal teen which relaxed her. The wind picked up and sent her hair flying wildly but she didn't care how the cold made her physically shiver, at the moment she was simply too preoccupied with her thoughts to really care.

She felt angry at Buckbeak's treatment by the Ministry and she needed to calm down before she snapped at someone who didn't deserve it. She would do this often when she was upset. Take her broom out to the Quidditch field, fly up above the goal posts and sit there on her broom and stare out across the pitch. No one ever bothered her here. She watched as sunset, admiring the way the sky blended from pale blue into pale pink as the sun began its descent over the horizon. So lost in admiring the sunset she failed to notice the bushy brunette who sat on the benches in the surrounding stands.

Hermione observed Rachel from the ground with quiet contemplation. Rachel had been distant and distracted for a few days now and Hermione wasn't exactly sure as to whether she should pry into her friend's life or not. Rachel was a naturally private person and if she wanted Hermione to know what she was thinking then she would tell her. Hermione couldn't put her finger on it but she worried about Rachel more so than anyone else she knew, perhaps it was due to the fact that Hermione had witnessed Rachel's fear of herself with the Bogart or had witnessed her injured and vulnerable or perhaps it was a bit of both.

But then again she had seen Harry and Ron either injured or afraid and that didn't provoke half of what she was feeling towards Rachel. Hermione frowned at her own confusion. She cared for Rachel more than the boys which made no sense to her because she had only known Rachel since the beginning of the term and still knew very little about the young Rothern. Rachel had opened up to her to a small degree and most of what Hermione knew about Rachel were mere fragments of her personality. Hermione sighed in frustration. She hated not knowing something and the person that was Rachel Rothern still remained a mystery to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for taking so long to update, had too many ideas going through my head for this chapter so I've finally decided to settle for this. As you could probably guess I'm relying quite heavily on the movies for developing authentic scenes that I can twist ever so slightly to make it more believable for my character to be involved in the storylines. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 10 – Hagrid's Hut and Scabbers

The next day arrived too quickly and Rachel found herself following Harry, Ron and Hermione as they travelled to Hagrid's Hut. The time on her broom last night had provided little comfort for her troubled mind and left her feeling agitated and tired. Rachel remained perfectly unaware of Hermione's presence during her solitude; just as she remained unaware of Hermione's similar predicament. The four Gryffindors walked through the Archway that led to the hillside which Hagrid's Hut had been built on and before Rachel could even blink Hermione was near enough charging, with her wand in her right hand, towards the three Slytherin boys huddled against a seven foot high stone with binoculars in their hands.

As she, Harry and Ron trailed after her at a slower pace Rachel immediately recognised one of the boys to be Draco Malfoy and as the arrogant bastard turned with a goading smile on his face Rachel actually smirked when his face quickly dropped as Hermione pressed her wand into his neck and backed him up against the pillar he had recently been hiding behind.

"You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach" she seethed angrily as she pressed her wand harder into his throat. Malfoy's goons stood either side of the angered witch, confusion and fear evident on their faces.

"Hermione don't. He's not worth it" it was easier for Ron to say that when he felt nothing towards Malfoy but Rachel understood that Hermione was feeling anything but indifference towards the Slytherin scumbag. In three steps Rachel was standing next to her outstretched arm with her hand placed softly on top of Hermione's arm, she could see the rage in Hermione's eyes as she glared straight at Malfoy as he whimpered pathetically. There was an intensity to Hermione's anger that led Rachel to believe that it was fuelled by far more than the situation with Buckbeak.

"Hey" whispered Rachel softly, knowing full well that if she handled this wrong she could very well be on the end of Hermione's wand instead of Malfoy. Chocolate brown eyes shifted and focused on the ebony haired Rothern from the corners of her eyes.

"He's not worth getting expelled over" Rachel watched in fascination as the anger bled from her eyes and her face softened. As she lowered her wand Hermione cast Malfoy one last glare before turning her back on him, nervous laughter escaped from Draco and, with speed that rivalled even the top Quidditch players in the world, Hermione decked Malfoy with the hand that wasn't holding onto her wand. Rachel grinned as the Malfoy boy fell back onto the pillar clutching his nose before sprinting away with his goons, fear evident in his eyes. Everyone turned their attention to Hermione as she watched Malfoy run off with a satisfied smile on her face

"That felt good" muttered Hermione, the smile never leaving her face.

"Not good. Bloody brilliant" cheered Ron as Rachel and Harry stood there grinning at her.

"Come on we better get to Hagrid's before we get told on by Malfoy" Harry offered before jogging towards the stone steps that led down the hillside.

"Look at 'im. Loves the smell of the trees and the wind going through 'is feathers" gushed Hagrid as he and Harry watch Buckbeak enjoy the breeze through one of Hagrid's windows.

"Why don't we just set him free?" asked Harry. Hagrid scoffed,

"Can't do that they'd know it was me. And Dumbledore would get into trouble. He's coming down Dumbledore to be with me when they...when it happens" the half-Giant muttered the end of his sentence before he turned away from the window.

"Great man Dumbledore" the adoration in Hagrid's voice was hard to miss as it was always present when he spoke of the elderly headmaster.

"Great man" he muttered. Rachel pushed herself off of the wall she had been leaning on.

"We'll stay to Hagrid" she offered though her offer was quickly met with disapproval,

"You'll do no such thing. Think I want you all seeing something like that. No. You just drink your tea and be off" Rachel met his gaze with compassion and understanding before nodding.

"Before you do go, Ron, I've got something for you" Curious as to what Hagrid was talking about Ron jumped off his seat and walked over to the half-Giant as he undid the lid to one of his jars

"Scabbers!" exclaimed Ron happily as Hagrid pulled out a familiar grey rat and handed him over to Ron.

"You should be more careful with your pets" instructed Hagrid. Rachel watched as Hermione and Ron descended into an argument involving his newly found pet rat and her pet cat, Crookshanks with amused blue eyes. Harry felt a pain stab at the back of his head and immediately turned to look out the window to see where it had come from before his eyes darted towards the three approaching figures.

"Hagrid" he beckoned and the half-Giant approached the window. Panic etched itself across Hagrid's face as he turned around

"It's late, you shouldn't be here. If you're caught outside at this time you'll all be in big trouble ya hear" Hagrid was flittering around his hut as he tried to make it presentable for the Minister who approached with Buckbeak's executioner and Dumbledore. Knocks were heard and Hagrid quickly ushered the young teens out the back door.

"Be with ya in a moment" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Hagrid it'll be alright" comforted Harry before he followed the others to sit behind the large pumpkin patch. They all watched as the three men entered Hagrid's home before running up the stone steps and away from trouble. Rachel cast one last sorrowful glance at the magnificent hippogriff lying in chains near the patch before sprinting after her friends.

The four friends reached the top of the hill and looked back down at Hagrid's Hut, they all watched as the masked executioner raised his scythe above his head before bringing it crashing back down to the earth. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Rachel's neck before Hermione pressed her face into the ebony haired teen's throat. Rachel calmly wrapped her arms around Hermione and met Harry's concerned face with her own concern. Harry reached out and stroked Hermione's arm to comfort her. A gasp of pain attracted everyone's attention to Ron

"He bit me" stated Ron, shock lacing his voice as he clutched his hand "Scabbers" he called after the escaping rat before chasing after his pet.

"Ron!" called out Hermione. The remaining three chased after the youngest Weasley boy. As Ron dove for his rat and catch him in a firm but gentle grip Harry couldn't help but recognise what tree Ron had fallen near.

"Shit" cursed Harry as he recognised the Whomping Willow.

"Ron get out of there!" barked Rachel. Ron looked up in confusion,

"What..." the confusion drained from his face while all colour departed,

"L-Look out!" squeaked Ron fearfully before pointing his hand at his friends.

Rachel turned round and was met with a fearful sight. A massive black dog was slowly approaching them with its sharp teeth bared and its stance lowered in order to spring. Unconsciously, Rachel moved in front of Hermione as the beast approached them, growling at them as it focused straight ahead. Rachel stared the dog straight in the eye. It snarled angrily before launching itself into the air

"Down!" shouted Rachel as she pulled Hermione down with her as she crouched under the dog and watched it soar over her head.

"Fuck" cursed Rachel as the dog sprinted towards Ron. His cry of pain as the dog latched onto his leg pulled at her heart as she ran towards the screaming boy.

"Ron!" cried out Harry and Hermione as they raced with Rachel to get to him as he was being dragged towards a hole at the base of the Whomping Willow.

"Help me!" cried out Ron desperately before the dog dragged him down the hole. Harry dove for Ron's outstretched hand but missed only by inches and was forced to watch his friend disappear, Hermione and Rachel pulled Harry to his feet before having a branch crash into them, propelling them into the air only to land yards out of the Whomping Willows reach. Rachel coughed as she got to her feet, helping Hermione up while Harry jumped up of his own accord. "

You okay?" asked Rachel, both Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Right then" she stated confidently before running towards the hole, the Whomping Willow swung at her with its various branches almost angrily. Rachel twisted to the side and lunged forwards as the Willow swung at her, rolling underneath another branch Rachel got within mere metres of the hole before a scream caught her attention. Looking up Rachel narrowly ducked an oncoming tree branch that had Hermione was clutching onto for dear life.

"Crap" muttered Rachel before a branch knocked her off her feet. She crashed onto the ground gasping for breath as the air left her chest in a rush. She barely noticed Harry get struck in a similar fashion before getting back to her feet; she was definitely going to have bruises in the morning. A male cry of shock drew her attention to a now airborne Harry Potter as he flew into the hole thanks to Hermione grabbing hold of him and propelling him in there. An amusing sight. Or at least it would've been if Hermione hadn't of grabbed a hold of Rachel's shirt and planned to do exactly the same thing.

Landing roughly on the dirt covered ground of the hole Rachel made a mental note to never allow Hermione to do that to her again. Shaking her head to rid herself of disorientation Rachel slowly got to her feet. However, she barely made it up before a certain bushy haired teen fell on top of her, forcing her back into the dirt.

"I'm so sorry" moaned Hermione as she lay for a few moments on top of the ebony haired witch.

"No problem, always wanted to be a cushion anyway" answered Rachel semi-cheerfully. Her heart was racing from the adrenaline brought on by the battle against the Whomping Willow and now to have Hermione so close to her was making Rachel wonder if her heart would burst in her chest. Though to be fair Rachel didn't mind having Hermione pressed against her which she found rather odd. Hermione grinned at her answer before pushing herself off of the teen

"You alright?" asked Harry as he watched the two witches get up.

"Yeah we're fine" answered Hermione while Rachel nodded her head.

"So where do you suppose this goes?" asked Rachel as she stared down the eerily lit tunnel.

"I have an idea. I just hope I'm wrong" answered Harry before walking down the tunnel, closely followed by Hermione and Rachel. A sense of dread formed over Rachel's heart as she followed from the very back. This was not going to end well.


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 11 – At the End of the Tunnel

Rachel felt Hermione grab hold of her hand as they walked behind Harry. At first Rachel was shocked, her heartbeat quickened while a faint blush appeared on her face. The shock soon faded and she quickly began to enjoy having Hermione hold onto her. They walked silently through the tunnel, all of them alert and cautious. It wasn't long until they came to what looked like mouldy black steps that led up to an equally mouldy, black wooden cellar door.

"Right..." began Rachel as she released Hermione's hand. She withdrew her wand from her jeans and walked in front of Harry,

"...I'll go first. If that dog's up there it'll have to deal with me and you two can go look for Ron" explained Rachel as she placed a foot on the first step.

"Rachel no let me go first" pleaded Harry; he didn't want Rachel getting hurt. Rachel shook her head,

"This isn't up for discussion. Wait here until I come and get you" Rachel turned and walked up the steps. Hermione and Harry watched her climb up the steps before reaching the cellar door with apprehension. Rachel slowly pushed up on the door and as it creaked open Rachel searched for any signs of danger. Upon finding none she opened the door fully and climbed through. Remaining crouched she observed the corridor she found herself in, to her left was an old stair case that led up to the next floor; to her right was an entrance to what she assumed to be the front room of the house, behind her was a long narrow corridor that led up to the house's door and in front of her was the entrance to another room.

The house was coloured a wooden black and covered in thick layers of dust, except for the fairly large line that had been created through the dust and carried onto the stairs. Rachel frowned before leaning over the open cellar door.

"It's alright to come up" Rachel caught a sigh of relief coming from Hermione before putting her wand back into her jeans and helping them up through the cellar door.

"This is the Shrieking Shack" stated Hermione as Rachel pulled her up. Nodding in affirmation Rachel quickly made the 'silence' gesture before grabbing a hold of Hermione's hand and looking at Harry "Up the stairs" she whispered to him. He nodded before following Rachel towards the bottom of the stairs. The three teens climbed the stairs, the boards beneath their feet creaking from the pressure of their weight. Upon reaching the top of the stairs they followed the trail in the dust towards the end of the first floor's hallway. Rachel stood in front of a closed oak door,

"Ready?" she asked Harry and Hermione quietly. Upon receiving no response Rachel forced open the door.

"Ron you're okay" the relief in Hermione's voice wasn't nearly as obvious as the relief in her eyes as she released Rachel's hand and approached the pale Weasley "The dog. Where is it?" asked Harry. The panic on Ron's face was a hard thing to miss as he looked up at his friends.

"Harry it's a trap. He's an animagus" squeaked Ron as his hand shot up and pointed towards the open door. All four teens turned to look where he was pointing. A gush of cold wind entered the room and forced the door closed; revealing the dishevelled figure of one of the Wizarding world's most sought after killers. Sirius Black. His black eyes were focused solely on Harry and when he stepped closer Rachel stepped into his line of sight.

"Don't even think about it" she warned. He smiled at her, showing his rotted teeth before chuckling.

"Rachel Rothern" he emphasied her name with a knowing tone. "Uriel's little girl. My how you've changed over the years. You look just like your mother. And word has reached my ear that you've grown into quite the Quidditch player" Rachel glared at the deranged man.

"What do you want?" she demanded coldly, refusing to allow him the satisfaction that his knowledge made her feel uneasy. The moment his eyes shifted towards Harry Potter a rage took over the boy. Harry snarled angrily before launching himself at the malnourished man before him, his hands wrapping themselves around his neck before pulling him to the ground. Harry quickly pulled out his wand and pointed it at the man's face. To his surprise Sirius Black began to laugh.

"Are you going to kill me Harry?" he asked while grinning like a clown up at him. The man was truly deranged.

In all honesty Rachel didn't expect Harry to go through with his threat despite his wand pressing into Sirius's cheek. The boy was angry but he didn't possess the killer instinct. She could see it in the way Harry gaped at Sirius's question. However, before Harry could answer a familiar figure burst through the door and aimed his wand at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!" barked Remus Lupin.

As Harry's wand clattered harmlessly against the oak floorboards Lupin tilted his head to the side, indicating for Harry to move aside. Hermione quickly grabbed hold of Harry's arm and guided him back towards his friends while his eyes never left Lupin's. Once the teens were far enough away Lupin turned his full attention to the pale man beneath his wand.

"Well, well Sirius looking rather ragged aren't we?" Sirius grinned up at Lupin. "You shouldn't have come here tonight" chided Lupin as if he were talking to a student rather than a murderer.

Lupin's hardened face softened before he extended his hand to Sirius before helping him up. All four of the teens watched in a mixture of horror and confusion as Lupin embraced Sirius as a friend.

"I've found him...I've found him. Let's kill him" muttered Sirius excitedly to the taller wizard.

"No!" barked Hermione indignantly, drawing the attention of the two adults "How could you? I trusted you and all this time you were his friend" Lupin released Sirius before turning to face the teens.

"It's not what you think" he began.

Hermione glared at him before turning to Rachel, Harry and Ron "He's a werewolf".

The shock on everyone's faces was nothing compared to the fear that flittered across Lupin's face before a mask of indifference appeared "How long have you..."

"Enough talk!" interrupted Sirius "Let's just finish this!"

Lupin held Hermione's gaze for a few more moments before sighing and turning to address Sirius as the man looked at him expectantly.

"Alright" caved Lupin as he hand his wand over to Sirius "But just wait one more moment Harry deserves the truth" Harry's scoff attracted both of their attentions.

"I already know why you're doing this. You betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead" he accused.

"No Harry it wasn't him..." began Lupin as he approached them slowly, stopping when Rachel pulled her wand and aimed it at him,

"Not one step further Professor" Lupin did stop. While Harry may have qualms about harming someone Rachel however was a different type of character. Very unpredictable.

"This one's got fire Remus." The pride in Sirius's voice sickened Rachel.

Lupin raised his hands to make the surrender gesture "...it wasn't Sirius. You mentioned to me a few nights ago about seeing the name 'Peter Pettigrew' on the Marauder's Map I confiscated from you..."

"So? The map had to have been lying because Pettigrew's dead. Black killed him" Sirius shook his head in denial.

"The map never lies. Pettigrew is alive and he's right there." Sirius pointed at the rat in Ron's hand although Ron didn't see it as that.

"Me? He's mental!" exclaimed Ron as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Sirius scoffed.

"Not you. Your rat. The one who's been alive for twelve years now. Odd life span for a common garden rat wouldn't you say? He's missing a toe isn't he?"

"So?" questioned Ron in confusion.

"All they could find of Pettigrew was his..." began Harry "...finger" finished Sirius.

"The bastard cut it off to make everyone think he was dead. And then he transformed into a rat so hiding would be an easier task."

"Show me" demanded Harry. Sirius nodded before approaching Ron "Give it to him Ron" stated Harry as Sirius wrestled the rat out of his hands.

"What are you going to do to him? Leave him alone!" pleaded Ron as Rachel held him back while Sirius placed the rat on top of the room's piano. The two adults fired invisible spells at the rat as they chased it across the room. As Scabbers launched itself towards the open door one of Lupin's spells hit its target and within an instant the rats furry body expanded into the body of a man dressed in a dark suit. Ron stopped his struggling and looked on in absolute shock as 'Scabbers' was pulled to his feet and pushed back into the room with Remus blocking the door and aiming his wand, along with Sirius at the man who stood quivering in the centre of the room.

"Hello Peter. Remember us" goaded Sirius as he glared coldly at the man responsible for his thirteen years imprisonment. The scruffy middle aged man looked up at Sirius before whimpering pathetically.

"You should've known that we would find you eventually Peter. And that we would finish you off for what you did to Lily and James" barked Sirius before preparing to summon a curse.

"No" interrupted Harry.

Lupin and Black turned to Harry, confusion written on their faces. Rachel smirked knowingly. "We should take him to the castle" offered Harry in determination. "After that the Dementors can have you".


	12. Chapter 12

Hey here's another chapter. Hope you like it and thank you for your patience. I've decided to add more of my own ideas to the story now rather than strictly focusing on what the films portray of the scenes. Hope you enjoy it. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 12 – Full Moon

The calm blue eyes of Rachel Rothern observed Harry and Sirius interact with one another from afar. She found herself perched on top of a boulder just outside of the entrance to the Shrieking Shack via the Whomping Willow. Remus was currently pointing his wand at the quivering form of Peter Pettigrew, Hermione was tending to Ron's injured leg while Harry and Sirius were conversing a fair distance away from the rest of them.

Sighing quietly to herself Rachel stood and wandered away from the group. She walked past the immobilized Whomping Willow and came to a halt at the very edge of the hill. The view that greeted her was the Forbidden Forest; she could see that it stretched for miles before vanishing into the black night. The sky was dark with storm clouds. "Looks like rain" whispered Rachel to herself as she observed the scenery; the wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves in its path.

Rachel closed her eyes. A familiar calm washed over her as she listened to the branches of the Whomping Willow bend against the wind, its leaves fluttering in the breeze while its branches creaked. The cold air nipped at her neck as her hair was gently pushed back by the wind. Unfortunately, the peace wouldn't last.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice called out.

Knocked from her tranquillity, Rachel's eyes shot open and were immediately attracted to the light of the full moon as the clouds that once concealed it moved away with the wind.

"Oh no" murmured Rachel fearfully before turning on her heel and running back towards the others. Rachel ran into the open and was met with Sirius Black being flung into the air by the now fully transformed werewolf that was Remus Lupin. Rachel found herself behind Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron being kept on his feet by Hermione and Harry each having one of his arms swung around their shoulders in order to support his weight.

"We need to get out of here" squeaked Ron fearfully.

"No wait. Wait" pleaded Hermione as she pulled away from Ron and slowly approached the whimpering werewolf. Fear crept into Rachel's heart as she watched Hermione slowly walk towards the creature.

"Professor?" asked Hermione softly as she came to halt a few paces away from the creature.

"Professor Lupin?" she asked again cautiously. The creatures head slowly lifted and focused on Hermione. The eye contact was brief before it threw its head up into the air and released a terrifying howl. Hermione immediately backed away from it and as it lowered its head and began to approach something, a powerful magic that lingered within Rachel's very blood came to fruition.

The three teens looked to the side when a snarl of rage erupted next to them. They watched as Rachel vanished into a black blur of fur and white teeth that launched itself straight at the oncoming werewolf. The force of the impact alone sent the beast flying onto its back before its claws dug themselves into the earth and helped it find its balance on all fours.

The werewolf snarled aggressively at the black wolf that stood between it and its prey. The wolf growled threateningly, her ears were pulled down as she lowered her body down to the earth, her muscles quivering underneath shiny black fur.

"Bloody hell Rachel's an animagus" stated Ron in awe.

Hermione watched the two animals fearfully. Her heart leapt into her throat when the werewolf roared before charging at Rachel. The two creatures collided with each other; they clawed at each other on their hind legs before the werewolf swung at Rachel's unprotected side. The black wolf crashed into the ground, rolling a few times before stopping on its stomach. The werewolf quickly turned its attention towards the teens. As it swiftly approached them with its claws outstretched the black dog appeared out of the bushes and latched onto the werewolf's idle arm.

The werewolf roared in pain before swinging for Sirius Black's dog form. The dog ducked the blow by releasing its hold. The dog quickly ran in the opposite direction, drawing the werewolf away from the teens.

"Rachel" whispered Hermione in concern as she approached the black wolf as it slowly changed back. The ebony haired Rothern looked up as Hermione approached her while getting to her knees.

"You okay?" asked Rachel as she got to her feet, she swayed slightly before steadying herself, much to Hermione's concern.

"Yeah I'm fine" answered Hermione. Rachel smiled.

"Are you..." Hermione began only to be interrupted by Harry, much to her annoyance.

"We need to go after Sirius" stated Harry impatiently. Rachel looked up at the Boy-Who-Lived who was currently the only thing stopping Ron from toppling over.

"Right. Harry we're going to help Sirius. Hermione I need you to take Ron back to the castle so Madame Pomphrey can check his leg." Rachel watched Hermione bristle and open her mouth to argue. Hermione suddenly felt Rachel's arms wrap themselves around her neck.

"Please Hermione. I need you to help Ron now" she whispered into her ear before releasing the bushy brunette. Before Hermione could even answer Rachel flashed her a grin.

"Let's go!" she called to Harry before racing off in the direction Sirius had vanished into. Harry quickly lowered Ron to the ground before racing after her.

Dread formed over Hermione's heart as she watched Rachel and Harry disappear through the bushes, Ron easily picked up on Hermione's anxiety as he slowly limped towards. He wrapped his arms uneasily around her and pulled her into an awkward hug.

"Don't worry they'll be fine" he comforted. Despite his good intentions his words did nothing to ease Hermione.

Rachel and Harry sprinted through the bushes until they came across a small opening in the forest. To their horror the black dog that was Sirius was being held up in mid-air by the werewolf before being thrown into a nearby bush patch.

Harry quickly picked up a large enough stone and threw it at the back of the werewolf's head. Upon making contact the werewolf turned its attention towards Harry before charging. Rachel quickly shifted into the black wolf once more and launched herself at the oncoming werewolf. The collision between the two ended with both of them falling down the hillside.

"Rachel!" cried out Harry fearfully as the two animals rolled down the hillside before vanishing into the Forbidden forest.

Rachel landed gracefully on all four paws as she twisted herself away from the malnourished werewolf. Pain shot up her side forcing a whimper to escape from the injured wolf. Backing slowly away from the approaching monster on shaky legs Rachel bared her sharp teeth at the beast.

The werewolf snarled before swiping at Rachel's injured side; the sheer force of the blow propelled the black wolf into the side of a mighty oak tree. Sliding down the bark, the wolf landed roughly at the base of the tree. In a state of agony and shock Rachel would've died under the oncoming blow of the werewolf if it weren't for a sudden howl that echoed throughout the forest.

Slowly coming out of her daze, the wolf's ear straightened as it listened to the howling. The werewolf cast one last glance at Rachel before falling onto all four paws and sprinting off in the direction of the howling.

Shifting back into human form was no easy task on a good day. What with the stretching of various muscles and the reformation of the person's skeletal structure. So to do that with a wound made the process even more painful than usual. Gasping in pain, Rachel sat with her back against the tree she had been previously flung into while grasping onto her side. She flinched when she drew her hand away from her side and caught side of crimson staining her hand.

"Crap" she whispered before pressing her hand back against her side.

As Rachel sat against the oak she couldn't help but notice the temperature around her drop suddenly. She froze as the familiar sound of heavy, raspy intakes of breath grew louder and slowly more numerous. Tilting her head upwards she watched as dozens of Dementors filled the sky above the trees, all of them travelling in the same direction.

Using the tree as a crutch, Rachel slowly got to her feet. Ignoring the burning sensation across her ribs Rachel gently pushed herself away from the oak tree and walked in the direction of the Dementors. Her dark blue sweater grew damp around her side as she walked, leaving a horrible dark stain on the material. Rachel's pace quickened as she heard pain filled cry's echo throughout through the trees.

"Harry" she stated quietly to herself as she recognised the voice behind the pain. Her pace dropped into a sprint as she chased after the Dementors in the sky. She hissed in pain as her muscles pulled her injury but all she could concentrate on was Harry's cries of torment and her desire to help him.

Rachel soon found herself at the edge of a lake centred within the Forbidden Forest. On the other side Rachel could see the unconscious form of Sirius Black lying on the stones and pebbles that covered the outer rims of the lake with Harry perched over him.

Dementor after Dementor swooped down on the weak wizards, each of them making their connection with either Harry or Sirius, draining them slowly and painfully. Rachel pulled her wand from her jeans as she staggered onto a protruding rock that was half in the water and half on dry land. Pointing her wand in the direction of both Harry and Sirius, Rachel focused on the happiest times of her life before unleashing her most powerful Protronus.

"Expecto Potronum!" a blinding white light streamed from her outstretched wand. A dome of pure white energy formed over the lake and pulsed with energy, sending wave after wave at the various Dementors. The hooded creatures groaned with pain as the light physically forced them away from their prey.

Rachel continued to focus on her memories, a small smile forming on her face as soothing contentment and joy filled her heart. Sweat dripped down her face unacknowledged as she exerted herself.

Once she was certain the creatures wouldn't be returning she lowered her wand and cut off the spell. She collapsed onto her knees and pressed her hand to her bloodied side. She watched the still bodies of Harry and Sirius with unease. What if she had gotten here too late? What if she hadn't saved them at all?

Grunting with effort, Rachel attempted to get back on her feet. However a wave of dizziness and exhaustion hit her like a tonne of bricks forcing her to steady herself on her knees.

"Easy Rachel" whispered a soft, soothing voice. Frowning, Rachel tilted her head so she could look over her shoulder. A figure was knelt behind her, shrouded in a black cloak with its hood up.

"Who..." started Rachel, pale hands shot out from beneath the cloak and caressed Rachel's cheeks. The figure coerced Rachel too look them in the eyes. Blue eyes clashed with silver.

"Sleep" the soothing voice beckoned as silver eyes became shrouded by white light. Unable to turn her gaze away Rachel eyes drooped as the exhaustion she felt moments ago intensified tenfold.

"Sleep" the person encouraged as the young Rothern slowly lost consciousness.

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Okay hope you liked it and please feel free to criticise because it helps.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you to all the readers/reviewers out there and here's another update hope you enjoy it. It's a bit short this first chapter because its more setting the stage for the next one which involves more relationship development between Rachel and Hermione. Once again I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 13 – Into the Past: Part 1

"Hermione you seriously need to calm down" offered Ron from his place on one of Madame Pomphrey's infirmary beds. Bandages had been wrapped around his right leg to cover the bite given to him by Sirius when he had dragged him into the hole. Hermione threw him an exasperated scowl as she halted in the middle of her pacing.

"Calm?" she questioned in a dangerous tone that made Ron inwardly groan. Merlin he was in for it now.

"How can I calm down when you're lying there injured, Harry's unconscious, Sirius is to have his soul sucked from his body and Rachel's still missing?" she thundered, never pausing for breath as she listed off the reasons for her stress.

Ron watched Hermione as she walked towards him. She perched herself on the end of his bed with her hands in her lap and her eyes focused in front of her. The girl was stressed. Even Ron could tell by the way she breathed deeply while her whole body was on edge and tense.

"You know I'm sure Harry's gonna be fine. Pomphrey said he's more exhausted than hurt..." he waited for Hermione to scold him. When she turned to him and opened her mouth he continued before she could even utter a single word.

"...And I'm sure that Rachel's alright Hermione. She's a lot stronger than people give her credit for."

Despite Ron's confidence, Hermione wasn't nearly as optimistic as him. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Rachel could be lying hurt somewhere in the forest. The very idea made Hermione's heart ache and she didn't know why! She found it so frustrating.

"Ron she took on a werewolf. What if she's hurt? What if she's lying unconscious somewhere in the forest while I'm in here waiting stupidly for her to walk through the door" she was worried, desperately so which made Ron's heart break for her.

"Hey..." he started, hoping that Hermione would look his way. When he didn't continue straight away Hermione cast a glance at him "I know that there's nothing I can say that'll help you feel better Hermione. Just have a bit of faith that's all"

Before Hermione could challenge him a groan attracted the duo's attention. Hermione sprung up from the bed and approached Harry as he slowly propped himself up against the headboard. He blinked up at her before reaching for his glasses that sat upon the bedside table. Once they were on his face he focused his attention on Hermione.

"Hermione are you alright?" he asked in concern. In all honesty Hermione looked on the verge of having a breakdown of some sort from where he sat. Hermione glared at him irritably.

"Harry what happened when you and Rachel ran off after Sirius?" she asked. Harry blinked up at her while Ron gaped at her "Bloody hell Hermione the man's just woken up" stated Ron, both boys surprised by Hermione's forwardness.

Hermione waited impatiently for Harry to gather himself. She needed to know what happened to him and Rachel before she could go off searching for her. Harry breathed deeply before his face twisted in despair, he couldn't look Hermione in the eyes as he recalled the events that led to him and Rachel being separated.

"...We ran in the direction that Sirius had led Lupin away in. We saw Lupin throw Sirius into the bushes but before...before Lupin could slice Sirius open I threw a rock that hit Lupin in the back of the head..." Harry inhaled deeply before looking up; he winced as he watched Hermione frown in disapproval at him.

"...Lupin charged towards me. He would've killed me if Rachel hadn't..." Harry's throat tightened as his eyes became watery.

"Rachel saved me..." he swallowed the lump in his throat, turning his eyes away from Hermione's distraught expression "...Rachel turned into a wolf and launched herself at Lupin. They both fell down the side of the hill into the forest"

Hermione turned and walked a few steps away from the boys, her hand over her mouth and her eyes tightly closed. Both Ron and Harry glanced at each other, worried about both Rachel and Hermione.

"It's gets worse mate. They've captured Sirius, they're gonna let the Dementors perform the 'Kiss' and suck out his soul" murmured Ron. Harry tensed at this piece of information.

The doors to the infirmary swung open as Albus Dumbledore entered the room, attracting everyone's attention. Harry quickly jumped off of the bed and approached the elderly headmaster, his expression determined.

"Sir you've got to stop them. You can't let them perform the 'Kiss'. Sirius is innocent" begged Harry as Dumbledore looked down at him sympathetically. "It was Scabbers who did it Sir" called out Ron from his bed. Dumbledore looked over Harry's shoulder and gave Ron a confused expression.

"Scabbers?" he questioned.

"My pet rat. Only he's not really a rat, he was my brother Percy's rat but then he got an owl and..." Ron's lengthy explanation was cut short by Hermione intervening.

"The point is we know the truth. Please believe us" Dumbledore looked Hermione and Harry in the eyes "I do Miss Granger however I don't think the voices of three students will be enough to sway the minds of everyone else"

Dumbledore approached the tall window that allowed people an impressive view of the Forbidden forest "A mysterious thing time. Powerful and when meddled with dangerous." Dumbledore turned from the window and began to approach the doors to the infirmary.

"Sirius Black is in top cell of the Dark Tower" Hermione and Harry looked at each other before looking back at Dumbledore who had turned to look at them before departing the infirmary "You know the laws Miss Granger..." he began.

"...You must not be seen by anyone and I feel you would do well to return before this last chime. Otherwise the consequences could be disastrous..." Harry and Ron gave Hermione confused glances but Hermione merely nodded her head in understanding of Dumbledore's caution.

"If you succeed tonight, more than one life could be spared. I'd give it three turns if I were you. Good luck" and with his encouragement the headmaster disappeared down the corridor.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" questioned Ron. Hermione quickly began to tug at a gold chain that was tied around her neck but hidden by her jacket. She pulled the thin gold chain around her neck off and threw it around both her and Harry's head before fiddling with a golden sphere.

"Sorry Ron but you can't come with us since you can't walk" she stated as she turned the sphere three times. Harry watched in shock as images flashed through the infirmary, all of them going in what appeared to be reverse. As he watched people flutter in and out of the infirmary Hermione kept her eyes focused on the sphere as it turned.

As soon as the sphere stopped turning, Hermione quickly pulled the chain over Harry's head and hid the necklace once again underneath her jacket. Harry stumbled slightly away from Hermione, puzzled.

"What just happened? Where's Ron?" he questioned as he searched the now empty infirmary for their red headed friend.

"Seven thirty. Where were we at seven thirty?" asked Hermione. Harry shrugged his shoulders at her, still trying to gather exactly what had happened.

"I don't know going to Hagrid's" suggested Harry. Hermione nodded in confirmation.

"Come on and remember we can't be seen by anyone" she ordered before sprinting out of the infirmary "Hermione what the..." he started before chasing after her. This was going to be a very odd experience.

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And there we go.


	14. Chapter 14

Okay Part 2 of 3 is here for ya. Hope you like this chapter but I'm afraid that once again its more setting the scene for Part 3. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 14 – Into the Past: Part 2

"Hermione will you please tell me what it is we're doing?" questioned Harry as he and Hermione slowed upon entering the small shelter that led onto the hillside beside Hagrid's hut. Hermione didn't answer him but instead crept towards the doorway that led onto the hill. Harry frowned in confusion as he approached Hermione from behind and looked over her shoulder to see what she was staring at.

"Hang on a minute that's us..." whispered Harry, astonished to watch a replay of Hermione nearly losing her temper with Malfoy. "This is not normal..." before he could finish his sentence Hermione firmly grabbed a hold of his collar before pushing him into the nearest corner of the shelter.

"This is a Time Turner Harry..." stated Hermione as she held out the golden sphere attached to the thin chain around her neck for him to see.

"...McGonagall gave it to me first term. Its how I've been getting to my classes all year" explained Hermione. Realization dawned on Harry as he recalled all of the times he had wondered where Hermione suddenly appeared from.

"So we've gone back through time then?" suggested Harry. Hermione nodded as she released her hold on Harry's jacket.

"Yes. Dumbledore wanted us to return to this moment..." confirmed Hermione before pressing herself against the stone corner and looking back at the unfolding scene inside the large stone circle "...Clearly there's something he wants us to change." As the two teens watched Rachel gently hold onto Hermione's outstretched arm a thoughtful look etched itself onto Hermione's features.

"You know if it hadn't been for Rachel I probably would've hexed him there and then" whispered Hermione as she watched the scene. Harry smiled "Despite her cold exterior she has a good heart" complimented Harry warmly.

Hermione smiled at the warmth in Harry's compliment. A resounding thump drew her from her thoughts and attracted her attention to the Malfoy who was racing in their direction.

"Crap Malfoy's coming" whispered Hermione as she pulled Harry with her and they both jumped out of the shelter and hid behind its wall as Malfoy came running through with his goons, cursing Hermione as he ran away from her.

Once Hermione was certain that no one would see them, she slowly crept out of cover and looked towards the stone circle to find it vacant of their other selves. "Let's go" she whispered as she jogged down towards the circle, closely followed by Harry.

"Look Buckbeak's still alive" stated Harry happily as he looked down from the top of hill and towards Hagrid's hut, quickly spotting the grey feathered creature in the pumpkin patch.

"Of course" muttered Hermione in realization. "Remember what Dumbledore said about saving more than one life". Grinning to herself Hermione started down the hill "Let's go" she whispered to Harry. They quickly jogged down the stone steps of the hill before going off the stone path and running behind the pumpkin patch next to Hagrid's hut but behind Buckbeak.

"We need to wait for Fudge to see Buckbeak before we can set him free. Otherwise he'll think Hagrid did it" explained Hermione as she peered over the pumpkins with Harry and through Hagrid's open window. The minutes dragged as Hermione watched the interaction within the hut while Harry kept an eye on the stone steps.

"Here comes Fudge" stated Harry, knocking Hermione from her observation as he watched the Head of the Ministry of Magic travel down the stone steps with Dumbledore at his side. Hermione nodded to show that she heard him.

"Quick we're coming out the back" whispered Hermione urgently as their 'past' selves began to file out the back door.

Both Harry and Hermione shot into the nearby forest and hid themselves behind trees where they waited impatiently for their other selves to race away from the hut before returning to their previous positions behind the pumpkin patch. Quickly checking to make sure that no one was looking out of Hagrid's window, Harry slowly walked around the pumpkin patch and approached Buckbeak.

"Rachel is way more comfortable with stuff like this than me" muttered Harry nervously as he approached with cautious steps. When Buckbeak's head turned in his direction, Harry slowly bowed to him to show his respect. The creature bowed its own head before resting it back on its front talons.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, Harry unhooked the chain that tied Buckbeak to a thick wooden post.

"Okay. Buckbeak come with us. Okay" whispered Harry as he pulled on the chain. When the creature made no effort to get up he simply pulled harder. "Come on Buckbeak" he grunted as he pulled.

Hermione could see tell that Buckbeak was going to need more incentive than force so she quickly came out of her hiding place behind the pumpkin patch and grabbed onto the pack of dead ferrets hanging on a different post not too far away.

She held up a dead ferret for Buckbeak and the creature, upon noticing something edible jumped to its feet, causing Harry to fall flat on his arse. He glared up at the creature before getting to his feet.

"Right come on Buckbeak" stated Harry as Hermione led the creature into the forest.

The trio ran deeper into the forest, with Hermione holding up a ferret to ensure that Buckbeak followed. Once they reached an opening within the trees Hermione quickly threw the dead creatures from around her neck and into the clearing where Buckbeak followed after them.

"Okay. Now what do we do?" asked Harry as he looked from Buckbeak feasting to Hermione.

"Now we save Sirius and find out what happened to Rachel" explained Hermione as she jogged up a nearby slope. "And how are we gonna do that?" questioned Harry as he followed after her.

"No idea" answered Hermione honestly. The duo ran through the trees in silence for at least half an hour before coming to the edge of the forest. "Look there's Lupin" stated Hermione as she and Harry looked up the hill and in the direction of the Whomping Willow being immobilized by Lupin before he entered through the hole.

"And now we wait?" asked Harry, unsure as to what they should do. Hermione nodded next to him before sitting down on the ground. "Now we wait."

"Hermione can I ask you a question?" Hermione quickly turned her attention from the top of the hill and towards Harry. "Of course" she answered confidently with a small smile on her face.

"I was just wondering. You and Rachel get on really well and she seems to trust you so I'm wondering...did you know that she could turn into a wolf or not?"

Hermione shook her head "No. She never told me she could do that. We're lucky she can otherwise one of us might not be here now" she was obviously referring to what Harry had told her about the last time he saw Rachel. Guilt quickly etched itself across his face as he looked at the ground.

"If she's hurt it would be my fault" murmured Harry, thinking that he would be partly responsible for anything that happened to Rachel. Hermione shook her head though the idea tugged painfully at her heart.

"And why would it be your fault?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Because if I hadn't been so rash as to try and take on a werewolf then she wouldn't have taken him on instead" what Harry was saying was true to an extent though Hermione felt that his guilt was misplaced.

"I know she doesn't let herself show it much but she really cares about us. She wouldn't let anything hurt us if she could help it and you can't hold yourself responsible for her actions. She knows what she's doing" soothed Hermione, hoping that Rachel did indeed know what she was doing.

Harry smiled half-heartedly at Hermione, wanting to believe her but the nagging doubt in the back of his head kept him from doing so.

Hermione sighed before looking back up to the hill "We're coming out now" she stated before standing. She watched as 'past' Harry and Sirius talked to one another away from everyone else but her gaze settled on 'past' Rachel as she walked around the Whomping Willow.

"I wonder what she's looking for?" whispered Hermione as Rachel gazed out at the forest.

Light quickly bathed them as the full moon appeared. Hermione and Harry both flinched as Lupin's howl echoed through the forest. They watched once again as Rachel shifted into a wolf and collided with Lupin. As the scene played out Harry waited until Sirius was leading Lupin away from them before acting.

"Let's go" he stated before grabbing a hold of Hermione's hand. They raced along the outskirts of the forest, both of them watching Lupin chase after Sirius before finally catching up to him. They stopped running and watched as the black dog was thrown through the air.

Hermione flinched when the werewolf turned its head and roared at 'past' Harry who was standing dumbfounded in front of it. She gasped when Rachel, in her wolf form, appeared from over 'past' Harry's head and collided with the oncoming Lupin.

"Quick. Over here" said Harry as he pulled Hermione back a few yards into the trees as the two creatures rolled down the side of the hill. They hid a fair bit away from the two creatures as they landed in a clearing within the woods.

They both stood there, horrified as they watched Rachel struggle to stand on all four paws. Three bleeding gashes stood out against the dark fur, blood oozing from them profusely. Hermione had to put her hands in front of her mouth to stop the horrified scream that threatened to tear from her throat as Rachel was thrown viciously into a mighty oak tree by Lupin.

Hermione quickly cupped her hands in front of her mouth as Lupin lifted his clawed paw to deliver a fatal blow to the disorientated animagus. An imitation of a howl escaped through Hermione's cupped hands.

"What are you doing?" demanded Harry fearfully. "Saving Rachel's life" answered Hermione quickly before repeating the same imitation. Harry quickly turned his attention to the now approaching werewolf.

"Great now he's coming for us" murmured Harry irritably.

"Yeah didn't think about that. Run!" ordered Hermione before she turned and sprinted into the forest. Harry hesitated for a moment before copying Hermione. The two teens weaved inbetween various trees as the werewolf chased after them.

They quickly found themselves surround by mighty oak trees that had trunks at least six metres across and five metres wide. Harry pulled Hermione behind one of them and waited for Lupin to show up.

The werewolf bounded into sight and both Harry and Hermione held their breaths to keep from being spotted. They watched fearfully as Lupin sniffed around, trying to catch their scent no doubt. He moved forwards on all four paws to which Harry and Hermione circled around the tree in hopes of coming up behind him as he plodded forwards.

However that was not the case. As Harry and Hermione came into sight Lupin appeared in front of them. Hermione grimaced as Lupin bared his teeth and rose his front paw to slash at them with. Luckily for them the gentle Hippogriff they had just saved jumped inbetween them and the werewolf.

Buckbeak cawed angrily at Lupin and struck him about the head with its front talon, leaving nasty red lines across Lupin's face. The werewolf roared at Buckbeak before being chased off by the bigger Hippogriff.

"God that was scary" whimpered Hermione as she buried herself into Harry who wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "Professor Lupin's having a really tough night" stated Harry sympathetically.

The sound of raspy groaning attracted his attention upwards. "Dementors?" whispered Harry in confusion as he watched numbers of the creatures fly in one direction "Sirius" stated Harry in realization before he once more grabbed a hold of Hermione's hand and raced off in the same direction as the Dementors.

"I remember that both me and Sirius were next to a lake when the Dementors attacked us. There was a bright light that chased them away." Harry spoke to Hermione as they ran.

The bright light he mentioned acted as a beacon for them to travel to. They ran towards it, moving through the trees as the light pulsed in the dark. The light soon faded as they came within yards of the lake. However, both Hermione and Harry came to a swift halt near the lake at the sight before them.

Hermione quickly brandished her wand as she approached a figure in a pitch black cloak knelt next to an unconscious, injured Rachel. A familiar anger coursed through her veins as she approached with her wand pointed at the figure.

"Get away from her" growled Hermione. The hooded figure went rigid before turning their head towards the witch. The only distinguishable feature of the hooded person was the pair of shining silver eyes that stared up at Hermione.

The silver eyes stared as Hermione kept her wand pointed at the person's head. Waiting for any reason to cast a spell on the person.

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Please review. Would be much appreciated.


	15. Chapter 15

And here's the final part. I'm personally quite happy with this chapter. Anyway please enjoy. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 15 – Into the Past: Part 3

Time seemed to come to a standstill as Hermione kept her wand level with the hooded figure's head. Harry pulled out his own wand and slowly walked forwards. The figure stood, quickly attracting Harry's wand.

"Back away now" growled Harry as he continued to move towards Rachel's prone form. The hooded stranger took two steps back. Harry slowly lowered himself to his knees behind Rachel, his wand still pointed at the figure.

"Who are you?" demanded Hermione, the frown had yet to leave her face.

Deathly pale hands slowly pushed themselves out of the confines of the thick black cloak before reaching up. Thin fingers grabbed onto the edges of the hood before slowly pulling the hood down. A gasp escaped from Hermione as Harry looked up in horror.

The person before her was no person at all. A horribly thin face topped with slick, short black hair turned towards her, its face contained sunken eye sockets to house its small silver eyes. Its cheekbones jutted out almost painfully against scarred cheeks but the most distinguishable feature of the creature before Hermione appeared only when it smiled manically at her. Two protruding upper canines.

"Not who. But what." Its voice was raspy and dry as it stared back at Hermione with a crazed expression drawn across its sickly complexion.

"What have you done to her!" barked Harry as he pressed a torn piece of his jacket against Rachel's bloody side. The creature released a low hiss as it turned its attention to Harry.

"I've merely sent her to sleep. Unconscious bodies provide little resistance." Its explanation sent an uncomfortable chill racing down both teens' backs. Regaining her nerve Hermione glared at the creature.

"Release her now" she demanded, her voice containing both threat and controlled anger. The creature's head snapped back towards Hermione, baring its teeth at her before snarling.

"And if I don't?" the question hung in the air and was met with a few minutes of silence. Its face soon broke into a grin. "Typical. All threat but no action. Your species is weak" it spat hatefully as it stepped towards Hermione. The teenage witch's glare intensified as she stepped forwards to meet the creature. With speed to match its inhumanity Hermione was thrown through the air by the creature.

"Hermione!" cried out Harry as he watched Hermione land painfully on the leaf covered ground.

Hermione moaned in pain as she slowly sat up. Whether it was sheer luck or fate she had managed to keep hold of her wand. Shaking her head she got to her feet and stood head on with the creature who merely smiled at her, baring its canines.

"I wonder how your blood will taste. Do Mudbloods taste like the dirt they are? Or is it perhaps sweeter than that of pure bloods?" it muttered more to itself than to Hermione as it walked towards her. Its steps full of purpose and its eyes full of hunger.

"Expelliarmus!" roared Harry as he flicked his wand at the creatures back. The creature whirled round and cried out as it was blown back into one of the trees by the force of the spell. Hermione quickly pointed her wand at the creature, finally regaining her nerve.

"Reducto!" she barked and the creature's body was met with such a force that the tree behind it cracked from the impact. A small crater was indented into the bark as its body fell limply to the ground.

"Quickly we need to go" stated Hermione as she ran back over to Harry who was currently struggling to support Rachel's unconscious body. Hermione felt a familiar fear enter her heart as she noticed the amount of Rachel's blood soaking through Harry's makeshift bandage that he had wrapped around her torso.

"She's hurt really bad Hermione" stated Harry sorrowfully as the bushy brunette came up next Rachel's other side and pulled the unconscious teens arm around the back of her neck.

"We need to get her back to the castle" murmured Harry as both teens began to walk in the direction of the castle. They walked past the unconscious creature slowly.

"I didn't think that those things were real" spoke Harry thoughtfully, trying to keep his mind free from focusing on the sticky, warm blood that was seeping through his fingers as he held onto Rachel's waist.

Hermione didn't answer him. Her emotions were all over the place and to be fair she was still in a state of shock herself over what she and Harry had just witnessed.

"Now, now children. I can't have you escaping with my prey now can I?" laughed the same raspy voice that had only moments ago been tormenting Hermione. Turning their heads to look over their shoulders they watch fearfully as the creature stood from where it had been sitting against the tree.

It twisted its body, releasing horrible cracks as its bones shifted beneath the skin. It turned its gut wrenching smile at them.

"Hermione. Take Rachel and get out of here" Hermione looked up at Harry as if he had truly lost his mind, which she was seriously considering at this point.

"What?" she gasped out in shock. Harry lifted Rachel's limp arm off of his neck and stepped in front of the two girls, his wand already grasped firmly in his hand.

"I mean it Hermione, there's no way Rachel's going to survive losing much more blood if we both stay here and fight. You need to get her to the castle where she can get help" explained Harry as he kept his eyes on the creature as it approached.

Hermione wanted to argue. Wanted more than anything to stand there and scream at him for being a bloody fool. And yet she knew he was right. Rachel wouldn't last much longer without medical attention and there was no way they would make it to the castle in time if they both stood and fought.

"Trust me Hermione" pleaded Harry.

The young brunette, though she hated herself for it, nodded before carrying on into the forest. Leaving Harry behind to face the creature.

Hermione panted heavily from exertion as she near enough dragged Rachel through the forest. The sounds of battle had faded and now Hermione was left with nothing but her own panting and Rachel's ragged breathing.

Coming to a stop Hermione struggled to breathe. She had never been the physical type, much preferring to curl up in a chair with a good book rather than partake in any physical activity and now she was paying for it. Sweat dripped down her forehead.

A groan attracted her attention to Rachel's twitching face. Surprised and even hopeful for the first time that night, Hermione quickly lowered Rachel down onto the ground and knelt next to her.

"Rachel?" she asked, hoping that she hadn't been imagining things. Her mind was frazzled and on edge enough as it was without her hallucinating to add to it. Rachel's face contorted into a grimace as her hands quickly pressed themselves against her wounds.

"Merlin that hurts" she grunted, her voice scratchy and laced with pain. Rachel's eyes slowly opened and she had to blink a few times before finally realizing that Hermione was indeed looming over her.

"Hermione?" she asked in confusion. Her eyes quickly closed as her side flared, she gritted her teeth to try and suppress the cry of agony that threatened to escape from her. Hermione's heart clenched painfully in her chest as she watched Rachel suffer. Her fear quickly escalated as Rachel paled horribly and looked on the verge of passing out.

"Rachel don't you dare pass out on me. Stay awake Rachel" demanded Hermione fearfully as she shook Rachel gently by the shoulders.

"You know you're really pretty Hermione" the brunette's jaw dropped at that. She either didn't hear Rachel correctly or the blood loss was really starting to get to her.

"Ummm thank you..." she honestly had no idea what to say to something like that. Rachel grinned. "Yeah...you're really pretty..." and then the young Rothern passed out once again.

"Dammit Rachel!" cried out Hermione in despair. Not only had Rachel sprouted complete nonsense but now the bloody girl was once again unconscious. Could her night get any worse!

"Hermione!" the brunette frowned as familiarity coursed through her tired mind "Harry?" yelled Hermione as she turned. Relief flooded through her as she watched the raven haired boy jump off of Buckbeak and kneel next to her.

"How is she?" asked Harry in concern. Hermione sighed.

"She woke up briefly but just lost consciousness before you arrived" Harry absorbed the information. "Quickly let's get on Buckbeak and get her to the castle before that thing shows up again".

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Yes I know I included a vampire but if you can have werewolves then you can have vampires. Hope you like this one and weren't disappointed by it. Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione probably comes across as really OC in this chapter but hey emotional scenes require a bit of that. Anyway please enjoy. I know this chapter is a bit short but in my defence I have the emotional span of a rock and I find writing this kind of stuff really difficult. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 16 – Nightmares and Comfort

Ginny frowned in concern as she watched Hermione whimper in her sleep. She had watched silently from her bed when the bushy brunette had entered the dormitory with the appearance of someone who had been dragged through hell and back. The youngest Weasley slowly approached the sleeping teen's bed, sitting on the side of the bed she reached out and softly grabbed onto Hermione's shoulders before shaking her gently.

"Hermione...Hermione wake up" whispered Ginny soothingly. The brunette's eyes shot open as she took in a sharp intake of breath. Confusion tinted with fear flittered across her face as she looked up at Ginny before exhaustion settled on her features.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" asked Hermione quietly so as not to wake the other sleeping girls in the dormitory.

"You were having a nightmare Hermione" answered Ginny. The bushy brunette sighed tiredly to herself as she sat up against her beds headboard. She rubbed her temples to try and ease away the beginnings of a headache.

"Anything you want to talk about?" asked Ginny with a mixture of curiousity and concern.

Hermione stopped her ministrations and thought about Ginny's offer. After a night like the one she had just had maybe talking about it would help. Hermione lowered her hand before looking up in Ginny's direction but not necessarily looking at Ginny.

"I can't go into great depths about what has happened but if it's alright with you it would be nice to talk to someone" Ginny smiled slightly at that.

"Hey I might not be as good at listening as Rachel but I can still try" Hermione winced upon hearing Rachel's name. Rachel had had an even rougher night than her. At that very moment while Hermione was sitting in bed, healthy and alive Rachel's was lying unconscious in Madame Pomphrey's infirmary with three large gashed carved into her side.

Ginny watched as tears began to form in Hermione's eyes. Hermione quickly closed them tightly shut before looking off to the side of the room, anywhere that wasn't Ginny.

"Hermione?" the teen breathed deeply to try and clam herself. "Rachel's in the infirmary Ginny, she's been badly hurt this time and I..." Hermione felt a lump form in her throat as sorrow and despair clawed at her. Ginny watched silently as Hermione broke down into silent sobs. The young red head slowly reached forwards and wrapped her arms around the sobbing brunette. Her top quickly grew damp around her collar.

"What happened Hermione?" she asked quietly as the teen continued to sob. Hermione slowly pulled away from Ginny who withdrew her arms from around Hermione's neck.

"We found her in the forest...near the lake...something was knelt over her...she was just lying there..." Ginny noticed the hysterical tone in Hermione's voice but chose not to press her. Breathing deeply, Hermione continued.

"...that thing kneeling over her...that monster was attracted to her blood...she was bleeding heavily..." Ginny frowned as she processed this.

"What was it? What thing could want that?" asked Ginny.

Hermione swallowed. "A vampire" she whispered.

Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. The idea that one of those things was living so close to a school of young witches and wizards was unbelievable, the fact that such a creature still existed contradicted years' worth of investigations conducted by the Wizarding community that the species had died out during the first war with Voldemort.

"That's not possible...vampire's became extinct years ago" whispered Ginny in disbelief. Hermione snorted.

"Both me and Harry fought a sickly looking man with sharp canines. That creature wanted to taste my blood Ginny" explained Hermione who only recieved a horror stricken expression from Ginny. Hermione looked off to the side

"We managed to get away but...Rachel had already lost a lot of blood. We took her to Madame Pomphrey as quickly as we could" Ginny slowly nodded as she absorbed Hermione's story.

"The nightmare I was having...the one you woke me from...was of the vampire and I couldn't stop him from hurting Rachel or Harry...I couldn't do anything to help them..." a lone tear trickled down the side of Hermione's face.

An awkward silence was created between the two girls with Ginny being lost for words that would comfort the tormented brunette and Hermione losing herself to her memories and her nightmare.

Ginny watched as Hermione got up from the bed. "Where are you going?" she asked as Hermione made herself presentable.

"The library. Maybe it has some books that could tell me more about vampires" answered Hermione. Ginny frowned "Hermione its four in the morning" she stated. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not going to be able to get any sleep tonight anyways. I'll see you at breakfast Gin and thanks...for listening".

Hours flew by and Hermione had managed to gather a few good books regarding vampires. She sat quietly in the corner reading a giant tome on supernatural creatures when she was approached by both Harry and Ron.

The sound of Ron's crutches made her aware of their presence long before they were near her and it was only when Harry's coughed did they draw her attention.

"Hey Hermione. You look tired" stated Harry in concern as he looked Hermione over. Dark smudges underlined her usually vibrant brown eyes. The brunette nodded slowly "I am tired...I didn't sleep well last night" Harry nodded in complete understanding; he too was sporting dark smudges beneath his eyes from being unable to rest peacefully.

"What ya reading Hermione?" asked Ron as he slipped onto the seat opposite Hermione. The brunette looked from Harry to Ron before looking down at her book "Creatures of the Abyss" she answered quietly. Ron frowned in confusion,

"Didn't know you were interested in creatures Hermione. Thought it was only Rachel who was" As if a bolt of lightning struck him a thoughtful look fell upon his pale face.

"Where is Rachel by the way...didn't see her at breakfast" both Harry and Hermione looked at each other with concern plastered across their faces.

"I need to go" stated Hermione as she got up from her chair and proceeded to walk away from the two boys. Ron turned in his seat to look at her "Why? Where you going?" he asked.

"To see Madame Pomphrey" Hermione threw over her shoulder as she hurried out of the library. Ron turned to Harry in confusion "Is she alright?" he asked in concern. Harry frowned before turning his attention to Ron.

"I think so" he answered though Ron's frown merely deepened "Then why does she need to go see Madame Pomphrey?" he asked. Harry sighed quietly before sitting where Hermione previously sat.

"Right I'm going to tell you what happened after we vanished last night...just don't go blabbing to the whole school" Ron waited for Harry to begin his story, wondering what it could have to do with Hermione needing to see Madame Pomphrey.

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As always please review.


	17. Chapter 17

Okay so today's been pretty slow for me which is unusual so here's the next chapter for ya. Hope you enjoy. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 17 – Anger and Memories

Hermione found herself sat once more in one of the infirmary's stiff wooden chairs. Her eyes were glued Rachel's face as she lay unconscious on one of the beds furthest away from the door. Hermione wanted to be angry with her. She wanted more than anything to rant and rave at Rachel about her utter stupidity and disregard for her own safety.

She wanted to scream at her for getting so badly hurt that she had to carry her away from a psychopathic vampire in the middle of the dangerous forest. She wanted to curse her into oblivion just so that she would understand how much pain she was putting her through by not being here.

But more than anything Hermione just wanted her to wake up; give her that charming smile of hers and tell her everything was going to be alright. But she wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. Hermione had overheard Madame Pomphrey discussing Rachel's condition with Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore before she entered the room.

Madame Pomphrey told the two professors with a voice heavy with sadness that the young teen's injures were far deeper than originally predicted and some of her organs had been damaged. Hermione cast her eyes to the bottles that stood on top of the side table next to the bed. Madame Pomphrey had been administering blood replenishing potions to help Rachel's body regenerate blood quicker since she had lost far too much out in the forest.

Skelle-Grow was also being used to help Rachel's cracked ribs, Hermione grew incredibly annoyed when she overheard that the ribs hadn't healed properly from a previous injury since smaller hairline fractures had been found along her ribs, and collar bone repair and most importantly a particularly advanced potion that required Professor Snape's intellect to help create to stem the amount of internal bleeding within her torso.

When Hermione had made her appearance known to the professors they had all looked at her with pride, McGonagall especially, and told her to be proud of herself for if Hermione hadn't of brought Rachel to Madame Pomphrey when she had the girl wouldn't be alive now. Hermione snorted. She certainly wouldn't say that pride was what she should be feeling as she sat next to her injured friend. In all honesty Hermione didn't feel anything but restless and sadness.

Her eyes lifted themselves away from Rachel and focused on the arrogant smirk of one Marcus Rothern. She found it particularly odd that it was only him without any of his goons or his younger brother floating around him like pests.

"Hello Muddy. Making sure the traitor doesn't die in her sleep are we?" anger swept over Hermione like a tidal wave. The arrogance and blatant disregard for Rachel's wellbeing simply made her blood boil.

"Get lost Marcus" she growled up at him although instead of intimidating him like she hoped it would it seemed to only make his insufferable smile widen.

"Now, now Muddy she's my sister and I can visit her if I want to" goaded Marcus though when he actually looked at his sister hatred formed in his dark eyes.

"Though I wished she wasn't. She's weak and makes my family look weak and if there's anything us Rothern's despise its weakness. I mean the idiot was beaten by a fucking werewolf of all things. She should've just killed it when she had the chance" Hermione felt her anger magnify tenfold.

"Shut up Marcus" she threatened as she stood up from her seat, glaring at him as he straightened himself. He chuckled to himself before sliding his gaze onto Hermione.

"And to think...she needed a Mudblood to save her. Now that's not weakness that's just pathetic. You should've left her to die if you ask me." Hermione felt her hand subconsciously reaching from her wand. Marcus noticed her movements long before they even registered in her mind.

"What are you going to do Muddy? You going to hex me?" he goaded as he slowly reached for his own wand.

"Hello..." a small, airy voice interrupted them and drew their attention to the blonde headed RavenClaw who had appeared at the foot of the bed.

"Luna?" asked Hermione in shock, not even aware she had entered the room. Luna smiled her dreamy smile as she looked up at Hermione "She looks very pale doesn't she?" questioned Luna before she turned her attention back towards Rachel. Marcus glared at the young RavenClaw before throwing a smirk at Hermione and departing the infirmary.

"What an imbecile" muttered Hermione as she sat back down while Luna sat on the opposite side of the bed. "Don't judge him too harshly Hermione. He along with his siblings have suffered a great deal and they all have different ways of coping" stated Luna as she continued to look at Rachel.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione. Luna frowned sadly at her question "I'm afraid it is not my place to say though I suspect Rachel will tell you in her own time" Hermione frowned as she looked at Rachel.

"You're quite close to her aren't you?" questioned Hermione. Luna smiled before nodding "Oh yes well Rachel has been my friend for many years now. I use to visit her often with mum when we were younger. Though Rachel was very different back then, not nearly as restrained as she is now and much more free with her emotions" Hermione absorbed this information though she couldn't suppress the small bit of jealousy that formed in her stomach.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione curiously. Luna glanced up at Hermione from the corner of her eye.

"I'm not completely sure what it was that pushed Rachel over the edge for there were many things that happened to her when she was younger. I stopped visiting after mum died and didn't see her again until we started Hogwarts but by then she had already changed."

Hermione winced. "I'm sorry" Luna smiled slightly as she looked away from Hermione and back at Rachel.

"It's alright. Mum was an extraordinary witch but she did like to experiment with her potions. I was nine when it happened" Hermione nodded to show she understood but found herself at a loss for words.

"You know you've really done a lot for Rachel" stated Luna. Hermione looked at Luna queerly. "I don't really know much about her Luna" answered Hermione sadly. It was the truth, Rachel spent most of her time listening to Hermione rather than revealing anything about herself.

"I don't think that's true Hermione. You know that she likes Quidditch, magical creatures and is a very good listener..." Luna turned to face Hermione before finishing her sentence "...and you know she cares a great deal about you otherwise she wouldn't be in here" Hermione was shocked by Luna's insight. The girl before her was indeed very perceptive despite her quirky tendencies. Luna smiled before getting up from her seat.

"Don't dwell too much on the negative things in life. Rachel does enough of that for the whole of the school" and with that the blonde RavenClaw skipped out of the infirmary, humming a foreign tune. Hermione watched as Luna turned a corner just as both Ron and Harry entered the infirmary. Ron limped into the room on his crutches with Harry travelling a few paces behind him.

"You okay Hermione? We just overheard Rothern laughing about an encounter with you to his mates and thought we'd come check on you" explained Ron as he sat in the chair that Luna previously occupied. Hermione nodded as she still processed her conversation with Luna in her head.

"How is she?" asked Harry as he stood next to Ron. Hermione's brow creased once again as all of her fears and concern came rushing back to her.

"She's not doing so well but she'll live" answered Hermione. Ron looked at the side table that all of the potions were being kept on and winced.

"Jesus that's a lot of healing potions" whispered Ron. Harry glanced at the potion bottles before wincing himself. Hermione nodded in agreement with Ron. "She needs the extra skelle-grow because her ribs hadn't healed properly since that bludger hit her last month" both Harry and Ron frowned at that since they hadn't known the extent of Rachel's injuries from the Quidditch match.

"Bloody idiot" muttered Ron. Hermione and Harry couldn't agree more with him. Rachel was certainly going to receive the biggest ever angry rant the moment she got better.


	18. Chapter 18

Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 18 – Confrontation and Recovery

It took a few days of undisturbed rest for Madame Pomphrey to decide that Rachel was ready to not need the sleeping draught she had been kept under as a precaution. Her body was healing nicely though she would still need to remain in the infirmary until the end of the week just to stay on the safe side. Her ribs and collar would take longer to heal than the rest of her so she would need to keep them firmly wrapped to ensure her ribcage was kept stable.

It was while Luna was visiting her that Rachel opened her eyes for the first time in three days. Luna smiled at the disorientated Rothern when she turned her head to the side and looked at the RavenClaw.

"Luna?" she questioned quietly. Luna nodded her head in confirmation.

"Good afternoon Rachel. How are you feeling?" she asked. Rachel blinked a few time before attempting movement, when a horrible ache flashed through her body she stilled instantly, wincing.

"Not so good then" stated Luna as she watched Rachel wince in pain. Rachel gave her a small grin in return.

"How are you?" asked Rachel, wanting the attention to be directed anywhere else but on her state of being. Luna shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm alright. I've been kept busy by my lessons and helping my father plan our trip for the summer holidays." Rachel nodded "Where are you off to?" she asked curiously.

"America. Dad has family he wishes to see" stated Luna. Silence followed. After a few minutes of it Luna began to speak of a different topic.

"We've all been worried about you Rachel. Professor Lupin visited you earlier and as I walked in he was leaving with tears streaming down his face..." Guilt invaded her mind as quickly as that dull ache had attacked her torso mere moments ago. She hated having people worry over her. It just seemed like such a pointless thing to do especially when she put herself in the infirmary in the first place.

"...Hermione has been really worried about you" this piece of information instantly attracted Rachel's attention away from her own guilt to focus solely on Luna's words. A familiar panic settled over her.

"Is she okay? She's not hurt is she?" asked Rachel in concern. Oh Merlin if she was hurt then all the pain she had put herself through would have been for nothing. Luna shook her head which made Rachel's panic fester.

"Hermione is physically fine. Nothing more than a few bruises and scratches although both Ginny and Harry have told me that she hasn't been eating or sleeping well" Rachel's brow furrowed in worry. The panic she felt only seconds ago vanished upon learning that Hermione was in no immediate danger but her concern only increased.

"I saw her the other day when she was visiting you. She was very concerned about you and stayed with you most of the day until she was made to leave by Madame Pomphrey. I haven't seen her at breakfast or dinner at all"

Rachel found her attention being drawn to the entrance when a familiar form entered the infirmary. Her concern was certainly justified. Hermione looked ill from where she was, there were horrible smudges underneath her eyes and her skin looked noticeably paler. There was a cut along her right cheek that had been stitched shut.

"I think I should leave you two alone" offered Luna as she got up from her seat as Hermione approached. Rachel smiled weakly up at the blonde "Thank you Luna" she whispered before watching Luna depart. Hermione nodded at the light blonde RavenClaw as she walked past her. Luna placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder before nodding in Rachel's direction, a knowing smile on her face. Hermione frowned in confusion before looking at Rachel.

Her brown eyes widened in surprise when Rachel looked back at her. Clearly she hadn't been expecting Rachel to be conscious for her visit. Rachel offered her a grin but when she was met with only a blank look the grin faded from her face. Hermione slowly approached her before sitting in the seat Luna had just departed from. Rachel waited for Hermione to say something to her. Anything. Time seemed to drift by at a painfully slow rate before Hermione opened her mouth to say something.

"You...You are without a doubt the most stupid, inconsiderate pain in my arse I have ever had the misfortune to encounter" Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, not exactly the reaction she was hoping for as Hermione glared at her.

"Did you even think about the impact your actions would have on the rest of us when you took on Lupin? Did it even cross your mind that you could've died in that forest? What were you thinking Rachel?" though Hermione appeared angry to Rachel, what with her glare and hardened expression in all honesty Rachel couldn't help but think herself lucky that she had someone like Hermione that cared enough to sit there and have a pop at her.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to make you worry" whispered Rachel softly. Hermione snorted.

"Then why do it? Why didn't you tell me your ribs weren't healed properly after the bludger incident?" Rachel sighed before looking away from Hermione.

"I didn't want to worry you" answered Rachel meekly. Hermione scoffed "Yes and naturally I'm not going to worry in the slightest that you fight a rabid werewolf and nearly get eaten by a vampire" Rachel's eyebrows rose in surprised and confusion at the mentioning of such a creature.

"Vampire?" she asked in confusion "When was there a vampire? All I remember was Dementors and then...you...then nothing" Hermione looked at her oddly.

"You don't remember anything between seeing Dementors and then...me" a small blush formed on her face as she recalled how Rachel called her pretty.

"No I don't remember anything...what happened? It didn't hurt you did it?" asked Rachel. If Hermione wasn't still annoyed with the young Rothern she would've felt touched by her concern. However, she was still annoyed and merely frowned at her.

"No it didn't hurt me just wanted to snack on me instead" Rachel winced at the angry tone in her voice. Hermione sighed before rubbing her temples in frustration.

"You keep putting yourself in danger Rachel. Why? Do you have any idea how worried I've been these last few days? I can't sleep because every time I try all I can see is you lying on the ground...slowly bleeding to death and there's not a thing I can do to help you." Rachel felt her heart break at Hermione's confession. Breathing in deeply before exhaling Rachel focused on Hermione who looked at her expectantly.

"I can't sit by and watch someone get hurt...not Ron, not Harry and certainly not you..." Rachel closed her eyes as she composed herself "...You have no idea how sorry I am for putting all of you through this, you especially Hermione, you've been nothing but good to me and here I am just making you miserable"

Rachel opened her eyes slowly "I'm so sorry for making you sad Hermione, for making you worry about me when you shouldn't have to but I'm not sorry for doing what I thought was the best way to protect you and Harry" she whispered as she searched Hermione's face, judging her reaction. She felt her heart sink when Hermione glared at her but the glare eased away and Hermione looked more tired than angry.

"You're an idiot Rachel Rothern. A kind, selfless and loyal idiot" Rachel chuckled under her breath at Hermione's choice of words.

"Can't argue with you there but hey that's why you like me" Hermione shook her head before grinning "No I thought I liked you for your intelligence but I think that after the last few days we can certainly say that is not one of your finer points" Rachel glared up at her playfully.

"Now that's just mean Hermione. How can you be so cruel to a girl lying in a hospital bed?" Hermione smiled.

"Easily when said girl does stupid things that put her in said hospital" Rachel shrugged her shoulders before wincing in pain as the action shifted her fractured collar bone.

"I wouldn't say protecting friends is stupid Hermione" now it was Hermione's turn to shrug "Yes but the way you do it is what makes you stupid" Rachel grinned at that.

"Speaking of which, how long have you been an animagus?" asked Hermione curiously. Rachel's grin faded as a sad look overcame her face.

"My mother taught me how to change shape when I was younger" answered Rachel. Hermione instantly regretted asking the question as Rachel's mood turned. The teen was clearly sad about something and Hermione knew it probably had something to do with her mother.

"I'm sorry for asking" Rachel shook her head slowly "Don't be sorry. I just haven't been in that form for a long time and it brings back memories I'd rather forget" whispered Rachel mournfully, still refusing to meet Hermione's eyes.

Hermione nodded in understanding but before she could say anything two wizards decided to make their entrance known.

"Rachel!" shouted Ron happily as he limped up towards the two witches with Harry next to him. Hermione smiled at the two boys before turning her attention back to Rachel "Now you've got them to deal with" she laughed at Rachel's fearful face.

"Can't I just fight another werewolf?" pleaded Rachel. Hermione shook her head before standing and greeting the boys.

"I'm going to go get something to eat. Keep an eye on her for me" Rachel rolled her eyes at the brunette.

"Oh we will" Ron stated before giving Rachel a cheeky grin. Rachel got the feeling that not only was she in for another telling off but also in for something she'd just rather not deal with.

Ronald Weasley and his incessant gibberish. Crap.


	19. Chapter 19

Okay heres the last chapter in regards to the Prisoner of Azkaban storyline and if this story inspires anyone to write their own story/fic I would really like to hear about it. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 19 – End of the School Year

Rachel inhaled deeply before entering the dining hall. She smiled and nodded her head towards Luna who sat on the RavenClaw table to her right. Her smile was acknowledged with a dreamy smile of Luna's own. Walking down the aisle Rachel searched for Hermione. She quickly spotted familiar bushy brown hair and walked with more purpose in her steps.

"Hey Rachel" greeted Ron as he looked up from where he was standing next to the Gryffindor table. Rachel grinned at Ron as she took her place opposite Hermione on the table.

"Good to see you up and about mate" stated Ron, his grin never leaving his face. Rachel shook her head at the boy's cheerfulness.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hermione as she leaned across the table. Rachel shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Still a bit sore but nowhere near as bad as the other day" answered Rachel "What about you?" Hermione shrugged before smiling.

"Much better than I was" Rachel accepted her answer with a smile of her own.

"No Harry?" asked Rachel as she looked up and down the table, searching for the raven-haired teen. Ron turned his attention to Rachel and away from his conversation with Seamus.

"He said he was going to talk to Lupin a while ago" explained Ron before turning his attention back to Seamus. Rachel nodded before focusing on Hermione.

"Can I talk to you? Somewhere a bit more private?" asked Rachel quietly. Curious and a little concerned Hermione nodded before getting up from her seat in sync with Rachel. They both departed from the dining, completely unaware of Ron's curious glance at their retreating backs or Luna's smile.

Hermione followed Rachel until they reached one of Hogwarts many courtyards. Rachel quickly scanned the area to make sure they were truly alone before turning and smiling at Hermione.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione as she sat next to Rachel on one of the courtyards wooden benches. Rachel inhaled deeply before exhaling, trying to dispel the sudden wave of nervousness that formed in her stomach.

"I'm not very good at this so please bear with me..." pleaded Rachel. Hermione nodded encouragingly.

"I...I just wanted to say thank you. For everything you've done for me over the past year. You saved my life even when you didn't have to and I'll always be grateful to you for that...oh hell what I'm trying to get across...the point I'm trying to make is..." Hermione was tempted to laugh at how nervous Rachel was.

The girl was truly sweet natured. Rachel quickly noticed Hermione's attempt to stifle her amusement however instead of being angry at the brunette for essentially laughing at her Rachel shook her head in mock despair.

"Oh to hell with it. Hermione what I'm trying to say is that I honestly, wholeheartedly appreciate everything you have done to help me. I know I've made you miserable at times and I haven't always been open with you about myself or what I'm feeling but I just wanted you to know that you mean the world to me and...that's about it actually..." Hermione couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from her lips.

"I'm sorry...it's just so sweet watching you act so nervous" Rachel smiled weakly though she couldn't hide the blush that had formed on her pale face. Hermione smiled warmly at her raven haired friend.

"But you can do me a huge favour since I saved you life..." Rachel looked up at the brunette curiously.

"You can promise to write to me this summer telling me everything you get up to and I'll do the same"

"Deal" Rachel answered warmly. Hermione turned her head towards Harry as he walked towards them.

"Hey Rachel how are you feeling?" asked Harry as he stopped in front of the two girls. Rachel grinned up at him "Really well. How are you?" she inquired. The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm fine just finished talking to Professor Lupin actually." Rachel nodded her head.

"I should go speak to him" she declared before standing up from her seat. Both Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement though Hermione felt slightly apprehensive of how their encounter would pan out.

"He's in his office Rachel" informed Harry. Rachel smiled appreciatively before turning her attention back to Hermione "Guess I'll see you in a bit then" she stated while the bushy brunette nodded her head.

"Yeah I think Harry and I will head back to the dining hall. No doubt Ron's probably wondering where we all are" Rachel nodded before breathing in deeply "Well here goes nothing" she stated before heading off in the direction of Professor Lupin's office.

Rachel quickly found herself knocking on the thick oak door that led into Professor Lupin's office. She waited patiently for the door to be opened and once it had been she observed the usually well kept professor with concern.

Lupin was sporting at least three cuts across his left cheek while his skin was horribly white and pasty. Dark smudges underlined his cold brown eyes from a clear lack of sleep.

"Ah Miss Rothern. Do come in" he greeted as he stepped to the side to allow the teen entrance to his office. She quickly noticed the various suitcases scattered around the office, some already packed and closed while few remained open.

"You've been sacked?" gasped Rachel as she turned back to the dishevelled professor. Lupin smiled at her sadly before walking towards his desk.

"No I resigned" answered Lupin over his shoulder before turning his attention to the stack of papers on his desk.

"Someone let slip the...nature of my condition...and rightly so various parents have expressed their outrage at someone like me being around their children" Rachel easily picked up on the sad tone of the professor's voice.

"Sir with all due respect you shouldn't have to resign over something you can't control" Rachel stated defiantly. Lupin turned so he faced Rachel fully.

"Rachel I very nearly killed you that night. Yes I couldn't control myself but I put you and the others students in very serious danger which cannot be ignored" Rachel frowned in thought as she absorbed Lupin's words.

"But Professor..." Lupin shook his head "I'm no longer your professor Rachel. As of now I am simply Remus Lupin"

Lupin turned his head to try and catch Rachel's eye. "You've been a true inspiration Rachel Rothern. I can honestly say that I have never met anyone quite like you before. You displayed nothing but sheer bravery that night and I wanted to thank you for stopping me from hurting the others. But I also want to apologize for hurting you."

"You weren't yourself" Rachel stated evenly. Lupin smiled at the determined teen.

"Regardless. That night you proved not only to me but to everyone else present that you truly are a unique, gifted young witch. You would've made your mother proud Rachel" Rachel looked up at Lupin in surprise. A sadness formed inside his brown eyes.

"Yes I knew your mother. One of the bravest people I ever had the pleasure of knowing. As loyal as they came. Just like you Rachel, you know from the moment I saw you in my class I thought it was your mother looking back at me"

Rachel smiled at the connection. Lupin sighed as he raised his wand, with a quick flick of his wrist all of the open cases closed themselves. He slowly reached for his coat. Folding the item of clothing onto his arm he approached Rachel slowly, an obvious limp in his step.

"So now it's time for me to say goodbye Rachel Rothern. I hope we meet again someday" stated Lupin warmly before limping towards the door.

Rachel turned and watched as Lupin limped out of the classroom, she slowly followed but halted just outside the door frame. The now ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts professor disappeared behind a corner, leaving Rachel to her thoughts.

The raven haired teen found herself wandering thoughtlessly back towards the dining hall. Why had Lupin only now decided to mention anything about her mother? It was comforting to know that she had retained some of her mother's finer points and having someone tell her that she looked and acted so much like her mother was comforting for Rachel to hear but still she couldn't help but wonder just how much Lupin knew about her mother.

"Rachel! Rachel come have a look at this!" an excited male voice knocked her from her thoughts and Rachel found herself once again in the dining room. Looking up at the excited Weasley she banished all of her thoughts on Lupin and her mother and forced a smile onto her face as she approached the others. She ignored Hermione's curious gaze as she peered over Harry's shoulder to look at the object that had got Ron so excited.

"A Firebolt" stated Rachel in awe as she looked at the impressive broom. Harry smiled up at her as Ron began to spout out various facts about the broom that Rachel could care less about. Her attention was drawn away from the broomstick and towards the long feather that sat next to it. Reaching forwards she picked up the feather and analyzed it curiously, it was a mixture of greys while the feather was easily as long as her forearm.

Recognition flew into her eyes. She looked away from the feather and up at Hermione who nodded in confirmation to Rachel's silent question. A broad smile formed on her face as she placed the feather back down on the table.

"Come on Harry let's take the broom out for a spin" pleaded Ron. Harry grinned up at him before grabbing a hold of his new broomstick and charged out of the dining hall, closely followed by an entourage of Gryffindors.

Rachel watched as Harry mounted his new broomstick. He grinned at everyone before kicking off of the ground. A sudden swish followed and the teen was zooming up into the air quicker than anyone could blink. Rachel smiled as Harry roared with laughter and excitement as he flew higher and higher.

"You know what..." Rachel quickly looked towards Hermione curiously "...I think things are finally starting to look a bit brighter" the bushy brunette smiled as she watched Harry dart across the sky before looking to the side and at Rachel.

"Yeah...it looks that way Hermione" agreed Rachel as she grinned at her before they both looked back up at Harry.

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Please review.


	20. Chapter 20

Sweet and now we kick off 'the Goblet of Fire' part of the series. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 20 – A Moment in Summer

"Come on Hermione put that letter down and come and join us!" yelled out Ron as he stood in waist deep water. The day was a perfect summer day. Not a cloud in the sky, a gentle breeze in the air and she was surrounded by her closest friends. Hermione and Harry were to spend the remainder of their holidays with the Weasley tribe before heading back to Hogwarts in September. Hermione smiled as she read the contents of the letter, Rachel was surprisingly informative and even funny in her writing that on more than one occasion had caused her to giggle and attract an odd look from Ron.

Hermione looked up from the piece of parchment in her hands. Her friends, Ron, Harry and Ginny were messing about in the lake that existed a few miles away from the Weasley house. However, Ron was slowly coming out of the lake and approaching where she sat against the base of one of the surrounding trees.

"Everything alright 'Mione? You've been re-reading that letter for the last few days" asked Ron as he stopped in front of her. Hermione looked up at him curiously.

"Everything 's fine Ron, I'm just thinking about what I'm going to write back to her that's all" explained Hermione, though in all honesty she just enjoyed reading the two sides of neat hand-writing because it would be another two weeks before she saw Rachel again at Hogwarts. The letter simply allowed her to feel a bit more connected to Rachel despite their distance. Ron sighed.

"Come on Hermione come join us. Luna's gonna be here with one of her friends in a bit and we're gonna have a go at a small game of Quidditch" Hermione frowned up at him. Of course she had forgotten that Luna would be coming today, she had just gotten back from America and Ginny had invited her and one of her friends round, though Ginny had never mentioned who Luna's friend was.

"You know I won't get on a broom let alone play Quidditch Ron" Ron shrugged at her before grinning knowingly.

"Yeah but you could join Luna in being our cheerleader" Hermione glared up at Ron who's grin only seemed to widen.

"Hey Luna!" cried out Ginny. Hermione smiled at the approaching RavenClaw as she walked towards the group. The quiet blonde smiled and waved at Ginny who got out of the lake along with Harry. Hermione watched as Ginny approached Luna with a confused expression but after a few words from Luna, Ginny looked over at Hermione. Hermione watched as a giant grin plastered itself across the youngest Weasley's face.

"Wonder what she's grinning at?" muttered Hermione as she observed Ginny with confusion.

"I believe that would be me" answered a soft voice from behind the brunette. Hermione released a yelp of surprise as she shot up from her seat and turned around to see who exactly had said that. Laughter roared from behind Hermione as she stared at Rachel's smiling face.

"Rachel? That was not funny!" squeaked Hermione indignantly as the smiling Rothern approached her. Rachel shrugged as she stopped in front of the glaring brunette.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist" Hermione's glare melted from her face as Rachel stood there with her charming smile, gorgeous blue eyes and...wait...What! Was she? Hermione Granger seriously thinking that about her best friend. Rachel watched as a look of horror came over Hermione's face but as soon as it came it vanished, leaving Rachel curious as to what the young brunette had been thinking about.

Hermione shook her head in mock disapproval before smiling up at Rachel. She had never taken much notice before but Rachel was a good few inches taller than herself. Odd that she was only just now starting to notice. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but found herself being interrupted by the others coming over.

"Hey Rachel" greeted Harry and Ron while Ginny hugged the older Gryffindor. Rachel grinned as she returned Ginny's hug briefly before the youngest Weasley turned a sly grin towards Hermione.

"Maybe now Hermione will stop fussing over a certain letter hmmm?" a faint pink settled on Hermione's cheeks before she looked away from the grinning red head. Rachel watched the two interact with amusement. It was very rare to see the brunette get flustered and it was a charming thing to see. Made the brainy Gryffindor appear much more human and approachable in her opinion.

"Great now that Rachel's here we can have even teams for out little Quidditch match" cheered Ron as he grinned at Rachel.

"Fine but I get Ginny" declared Rachel. The two girls grinned at each other, already forming strategies on how to humiliate the two boys. Both Harry and Ron smiled nervously while Hermione chuckled and Luna had her attention focused elsewhere.

"Come on guys lets quickly get back to the Burrow and get our stuff. Hermione, Luna and Rachel you can stay here if you like we were gonna play Quidditch over the lake just to be safe anyway" explained Harry.

Hermione and Rachel nodded in acceptance though Luna quickly stated that she would like to come back with them to say hello to Mrs Weasley. Ginny nodded eagerly and cast a mischievous grin at Hermione and Rachel before grabbing hold of Luna's wrist and pulling her off after the boys who were already walking.

"Ginny's acting strange don't you think?" asked Rachel as she watched Ginny drag poor Luna. Though she couldn't help but notice that Luna certainly didn't mind the young red head's eagerness in the slightest.

"I haven't a clue. Must be a Weasley thing" answered Hermione as she walked towards the tree trunk.

"So how has your summer been so far?" asked Rachel as she sat next to Hermione on the fallen tree. Hermione smiled.

"My summer's been fine. I've been here most of it. Mr and Mrs Weasley are so good to me and Harry and they practically treat us like family. Though the boys and Ginny keep trying to get me on a broomstick, coming up with all kinds of ridiculous reasons as to why I should join them up in the air. It can get annoying sometimes though they mean well."

"Why don't you join them up in the air?" asked Rachel curiously. Hermione made a noise in her throat. "I don't really like heights and they would probably go too fast and scare the hell out of me" explained Hermione.

Rachel frowned thoughtfully before getting up off the tree. She reached for her back pocket and pulled out her slender wand.

"Accio broom" she commanded and the incantation, coupled with a flick of her wrist summoned a Firebolt broomstick from out of the bushes. Rachel put her wand back into her jeans pocket as she grabbed hold of the broom.

"Hermione...would you like to have a go with me?" asked Rachel.

The bushy brunette looked at Rachel with an obvious 'you've-gotta-be-kidding-me' look. Rachel sighed.

"Please. Just try it with me, if you really hate it I'll leave you be and never ask you to come on a broom ride with me again" Rachel was pleading with Hermione. If there was one thing she had in common with the rest of her family it was that she hated to plead for anything. But it seemed that when it came to Hermione her preconceptions of herself just seemed to vanish.

Hermione looked at the broomstick in Rachel's hand sceptically. "Please Hermione" her brown eyes were attracted to Rachel's soft blue orbs. She could only see sincerity.

"No one's here to judge you. It's just me, you and this broom" stated Rachel, encouragingly. Hermione frowned before nodding, feeling her Gryffindor courage spark up within her. Rachel's smile was contagious and soon both girls were grinning.

"Right okay I'll get on first, levitate the broom just high enough for you to get one and we'll go from there" explained Rachel before she mounted the broom. She levitated roughly a metre off the ground before smirking at Hermione.

The bushy brunette was nervous as hell; she felt the palms of her hands sweat profusely as she approached the levitating broomstick. Very slowly she mounted the stick, positioning herself in front of Rachel.

"Relax" whispered Rachel into Hermione's ear as she rested her chin on the brunette's tense shoulder. Rachel's attempts to soothe her had little effect, Hermione reached for the end of the broom and gripped onto the stick with both hands for dear life. Rachel reached forwards and placed her hands on top of Hermione's while pressing her torso into Hermione's back.

"Okay I'm going to kick off now. Trust me it won't be as quick as you think" soothed Rachel. Hermione thanked whatever god was looking down on her that Rachel couldn't see her face, the poor brunette was blushing a deep scarlet from having her attractive friend press herself so fully against her and having her breath caress her neck.

"Ready?" asked Rachel. Hermione didn't trust herself to speak, what with the fear coursing through her veins from what she was about to do and the adrenaline rush brought on by, what she assumed to be, teenage hormones. So instead of speaking the brunette nodded.

Rachel gently kicked off of the ground and immediately felt Hermione's body tense up even more so. Unaware of what effect it might have on Hermione, Rachel removed one of her hands from being on top of the brunette's and wrapped her arm around her friend's waist. They had reached a fair enough height by the time Rachel had done that so when Hermione gasped in surprise at her friend's actions the broom tipped forwards from her bearing down on it too much and both girls ended up falling off.

Hermione landed on top of Rachel on the grass. Rachel found it odd that she enjoyed having Hermione so close to her and unconsciously tightened her hold on the brunette's waist. That was until a cough caught their attention. Both girls turned their heads upwards and found themselves looking at a highly amused Ginny Weasley and a smiling Luna.

Hermione quickly scrambled off of Rachel as Ginny laughed at them. Rachel simply smiled up at Hermione from where she lay.

"Safe to say that you're not going to be joining the Quidditch team anytime soon then" stated Rachel with a smile. Though the smile was merely a mask to hide the confusion that swam through Rachel's very being. Why did she enjoy having Hermione so close to her? Why didn't she feel repulsed by the idea of holding another girl in a similar way lovers hold each other? But most importantly, why the hell did she feel so damn disappointed when Hermione got off of her?

Unknown to the confused Rothern, the cause of her confusion was thinking and feeling exactly the same way.

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Okay please review.


	21. Chapter 21

Right just to clarify in case anyone gets confused this chapter is set a day after the last chapter. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 21 – Teasing and the Quidditch World Cup

Ginny smiled at Hermione as she came walking down the creaky stairs of the Burrow. The youngest Weasley was leaning against the doorframe that led into the living room with her arms folded across her chest.

"Any luck waking up the boys? Dad said that we'll be leaving in a few minutes" asked the young red head. Hermione released a sigh of exasperation.

"Ronald I'm sure has fallen back to sleep. Honestly he could sleep for England" scolded Hermione as she came to a halt in front of Ginny. Hermione grinned as she heard an almost girly squeal erupt from upstairs, indicating that Ron was indeed up now.

A sly grin formed on Ginny's face as Hermione walked into the living room, shaking her head in amusement at the sound of Ron's squeaky voice complaining about Harry's wake up methods.

"So...yesterday was pretty fun wasn't it" stated Ginny as she followed the brunette. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah it was fun" Hermione agreed. It had been fun being around Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna and...Rachel. Ginny couldn't see the unconscious smile that formed on Hermione's face as her thoughts drifted towards her raven haired friend.

"I thought it was especially funny when Rachel was knocked off of her broom by Ron and fell in the lake though it was even more funny when she picked you up and threw you in" Hermione threw a frown over her shoulder.

"That was not funny" she groaned when Ginny's smile widened.

"Oh it really was. And I'm glad she did it otherwise you would've just sat on that log doing sod all. Can always trust Rachel to bring you out of your shell and brighten your mood" Hermione was certain that with her last comment Ginny was attempting to hint at something, especially when the red head winked and giggled.

Unfortunately before Hermione could placate her curiousity and ask Ginny exactly what she meant by that last comment a disgruntled Ron walked into the room closely followed by a smiling Harry.

"Geez what's the matter with you?" asked Ginny. Her question only recieved a grunt of acknowledgement from her brother as he sloped past Hermione and into the kitchen. Both girls looked to Harry to provide an answer to Ron's behaviour.

"He just didn't appreciate my methods of waking him up" answered Harry cheerfully. Ginny grinned in amusement while Hermione merely shook her head in disbelief. Boys.

"Right everyone's up I see..." stated a cheerful Mr Weasley as he entered the living room. Everyone greeted him with warmly.

"Okay I trust that everyone has packed and ready to go any minute now" when he recieved nods from everyone he smiled cheerfully.

"Right, go get your things and we'll be off" he ordered.

Within the space of ten minutes all of the teens were following Mr Weasley out of the house and into the nearby woods. As Mr Weasley charged ahead Harry, Ron, Fred and George chatted animatedly to each other about various topics revolving around Quidditch and pranks while Hermione and Ginny picked up the rear of the group.

"Soooo...Rachel seems nice" started Ginny as she looked everywhere but directly at Hermione. The brunette threw Ginny a suspicious look.

"Well I would've thought you had gathered that by now seeing as you invited her yesterday" stated Hermione as she sped up to keep up with the others. Ginny smirked. Hermione certainly was a tough one to crack; she had to give her that.

"Oh I know but I just wanted to know your opinion of her" goaded Ginny. Come on Hermione take the bait she pleaded in her head. Hermione looked at Ginny oddly.

"And why would you want to know?" asked Hermione. Ginny merely shrugged.

"Just trying to get to know a bit more about her and you do spend a lot of time with her" answered Ginny. Hermione's gaze softened. Brilliant thought Ginny.

"Well she's someone I trust, I mean she's saved my life and Harry's without hesitation so I can't imagine her being untrustworthy. She's sweet in her own way, always ready to listen and offer any help she can. She's funny and..."

"...and good-looking?" offered Ginny slyly.

"...and good-looking" stated Hermione. A look of horror washed over Hermione's face as she realized exactly what she had just said. She glared at Ginny who simply laughed at her before running up the incline to join everyone else before Hermione considered maiming her on the spot.

"Pest" muttered Hermione under her breath as she rushed to join up with everyone else. As Hermione approached Harry and Ron she decided to ignore the cheeky grin that was etched on Ginny's face.

"So where are we actually going?" she heard Harry ask as they walked. Ron shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea. Hey dad where are we going?" yelled Ron up at his father.

"No idea now keep up" stated Mr Weasley as he pressed on. Ron sighed in exasperation. "Great" he muttered under his breath.

They continued walking until they met a particularly short man leaning against an impressive oak tree in the middle of a small clearing in the forest. The man was dressed in dark beige clothes, had lanky brown hair that framed his face and small, beady brown eyes.

"Arthur!" he greeted happily as he approached Mr Weasley with his arms wide open. The two men hugged each other before Mr Weasley turned to look at the others.

"This is Amos Diggory. He works with me at the Ministry and will be joining us on our journey to our destination. Now where's..." before Mr Weasley could finish his sentence a tall figure dropped down behind him from one of the tree branches above. Getting over his shock fairly quickly Arthur greeted the person.

"Ah so this must be Cedric then" he stated warmly before shaking the young man's hand. The tall teen smiled as he shook Arthur's hand firmly. "Pleasure sir" he greeted. As everyone began to walk forwards Ginny dropped back so she was once again walking next to Hermione.

"Merlin he's good looking isn't he?" she asked Hermione as she checked out Cedric from behind. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I guess he is" she answered, instantly not liking it when Ginny smiled her mischievous smile.

"But not as good looking as Rachel huh" the youngest Weasley barely managed to dodge the swipe that Hermione took at the back of her head.

"Not funny Ginny" warned Hermione. Ginny shrugged "Hey you said it Hermione" she stated before dodging another swipe.

"Honestly you Weasleys will be the death of me" groaned Hermione. Ginny merely sighed dramatically "That's why you love us". Hermione glared at Ginny though it softened almost instantly.

Ginny felt quite proud of herself and couldn't wait to inform Luna of how well their plan was going. Hermione was playing into her hands beautifully by not denying that Rachel was good looking while Ginny only hoped that Luna was having just as much luck with Rachel. The group continued to walk until they came to the outskirts of the forest.

"It's just over there" stated Amos as he pointed up the hill. Ginny, Fred and George ran up the hill first while being followed by the others.

"Why is everyone crowding around that manky old boot?" asked Harry as he watched Cedric, Ginny, Arthur and George lie down and touch the old boot that just happened to be on top of the hill in the middle of nowhere.

"It's a Port Key" explained Fred as he walked past Harry to join everyone else.

"Time to go. Everyone get into position" ordered Arthur as he laid himself on his front and reached out for the boot.

"Right now everyone grab on" he explained and he watched as everyone reached forwards and touched the boot.

"Ready. After three...one, two, three" and insane spinning sensation attacked everyone before their surroundings vanished into a flash of light.

"Let go whenever kids" laughed Arthur. All of the teens looked at Mr Weasley as if he had truly lost his marbles.

"What?" demanded Harry in confusion.

"Let go" repeated Arthur. Hermione, Harry and Ron did as they were told and found themselves falling through the bright light before landing on something covered in grass. Moaning in pain Harry sat up and looked around, to his right he found Hermione being helped up by Ron and surrounding him was the sound of cheering and incoherent voice yelling out.

"Ha! Fun kids isn't it" laughed Arthur as he, Amos and Cedric landed on their feet. Harry released a scoff as Cedric approached him, offering him a hand up.

"Thanks" muttered Harry as he took it and was hoisted up onto his feet. Cedric grinned down at him before walking after everyone else. As Harry walked up the hill once he made it to the top the sight before him put a huge smile on his face.

"Well kids welcome to the Quidditch World Cup" stated Arthur as they all looked down at the thousands of tents covering easily three miles of land. Colour of green, orange and white meshed with red and black, symbolising who supported Ireland and who supported Bulgaria in the match.

"Wow" whispered Harry in awe as he observed everything. Ron tugged on Harry's sleeve, snapping him from his awe struck state and letting him know to follow Arthur into the organised chaos that was the Quidditch fans.

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Sweet and as always please review.


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry about the wait loads of stuff happening at the moment with college. Hope you like this chapter though it is a really short one. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 22 – Death Eaters and Awkward Introductions

"God that was amazing. I mean did you see how Krum took on Troy, bloody brilliant he was" stated Ron enthusiastically as everyone walked back towards their tent. Both George and Fred were clearly jubilant over Ireland's win over Bulgaria and decided that they simply had to rub it in.

"Yes Ron. We saw but never the less Ireland is the best!" they chimed out happily as they entered their tent first. Ron frowned in outrage before chasing after the twins, determined to defend his team.

As the others entered they couldn't help but shake their heads and grin at the shenanigans of the twins, Fred had captured poor Ron in a sleeper hold while George pranced around in front of him with the Irish flag in his hand and sung about how crap Bulgaria was and how great Ireland was.

"Enough boys" spoke Arthur Weasley as he entered the tent. The twins grinned up at their dad before Fred released Ron who glared at his older brothers. The sound of explosions going off attracted the attention of Arthur. The Ministry employee quickly departed the tent, curious about what was creating the explosions.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on" laughed George as Fred, Ginny and Harry teased Ron mercilessly over his 'adoration' of Victor Krum. The poor boy.

"Stop. Stop it. It's not the Irish..." explained Arthur as he came rushing back into the tent. Everyone looked at him in confusion as he flittered about the tent in a panic "...we need to get out of here now" the urgency in his voice immediately turned everyone serious.

Arthur ushered everyone out of the tent and into the chaos that had befallen the campsite. Various tents were on fire as people screamed in fear. Fireballs were being fired in various directions as people ran away in terror.

"Fred. George. Ginny is your responsibility now get back to the Port Key" ordered Arthur as he withdrew his wand and ran into the crowd.

"Come on" barked Ron as he dragged a dumbfounded Harry after his brothers, Ginny and Hermione. Bodies squished themselves together as everyone ran, a flood of bodies rushed through the smoke and fire. The panic was suffocating. Hermione watched in horror as Ginny and Harry became separated from the rest of them.

"Ginny!" yelled out Fred as he was separated from his little sister by the current of people. Both Ginny and Harry were forced into different directions while the others were being pushed in the opposite. "No!" barked George as he, Fred, Hermione and Ron struggled against the tide of people to get to Ginny and Harry only to be forced away from them.

At the first opportunity she got, Ginny escaped from the pushing crowd and found herself among a few stragglers and burning tents. Ginny coughed as smoke filled her lungs from all the burning. Her heart was pounding in her chest while blood rushed to her ears, leaving a distinct ringing in them.

She sprinted away from the screaming and the fireballs. Adrenaline coursing through her veins as fear infected her. When an indistinguishable figure emerged from the smoke in front of her and grabbed on to her she screamed for all she was worth and fought against the person who held her upper arms.

"Ginny! Ginny calm down it's me!" begged a familiar voice as they shook her gently. Ginny stopped struggling and actually looked at the person who held onto her with a firm but gentle grip.

"Rachel" she breathed in relief. The young Rothern smiled down at the red head as she felt Ginny physically relax under her finger tips. Ginny quickly launched herself in Rachel and hugged her. Rachel hesitated before wrapping her own arms around the youngest Weasley. After a few seconds Ginny pulled back and smiled up at Rachel. Never had she been so happy to see her than she was now.

"Are you here with any of the others?" asked Rachel as she led Ginny away from the chaos.

"Yeah I'm here with Ron, Harry, Hermione and my older brothers though I got separated from them in the crowds" Rachel nodded as they ran through the mass of tents and smoke. They weaved in and out of the thinning crowds, Rachel keeping a firm grip on Ginny's hand, making sure that she wouldn't be separated from the other girl.

After what seemed like hours of running they finally made it to the outskirts of the camp where small groups of people were forming.

"Who do you think did this?" asked Ginny. Rachel frowned as she stared at the nearly burnt out campsite, tents half melted and some still sizzling away.

"Death Eaters" answered Rachel quietly. Ginny frowned up at the older girl in confusion.

"Who are they?" she asked. However before Rachel could answer a masculine voice cried out Ginny's name before a stunning spell collided with Rachel's back. The raven haired teen collapsed onto the ground as Arthur Weasley came to a halt next to her, his wand pointing at her immobile form.

"Dad stop! She's a friend" pleaded Ginny. Arthur glanced up at his daughter before turning his head to the approaching group of teens.

"Do any of you know this girl?" he demanded hotly while keeping his wand trained on Rachel. Fred and George shook their heads, having never met Rachel before but when Hermione and Ron looked at her instant recognition flew onto their faces.

"Christ dad release the spell she's a school friend" stated Ron while Ginny nodded vigorously and Hermione knelt down next to Rachel. Arthur quickly released Rachel from the 'Immobolus' spell and the teen gasped as her muscles relaxed from their invisible bindings.

Rachel shook her head as she sat up only to have Hermione wrap her arms around her neck. Rachel leaned back onto the palms of her hands from the force of Hermione's hug but as quickly as Hermione had wrapped her arms around her neck the bushy brunette pulled back with a smile on her face. Rachel couldn't help the small smile that formed on her own face as she looked Hermione over; apart from a bit of dirt she appeared fine which relieved Rachel more than she cared to admit. Before she could get caught out staring at Hermione the brunette looked up at the Weasley clan which indicated that Rachel should listen as well unless she wanted to become immobilized again.

"...Rachel found me after I got separated from the others and led me back here safe and sound." Seemed that Rachel was catching the end of the conversation and before she knew the man who had hexed her was pulling her into a bear hug. Rachel squeaked in fear but after a moment she realized that the man wasn't going to kill her but was simply grateful.

"Thank you so much for looking after my baby girl Rachel. Sorry about the spell it's just that I was so worried about our little Ginny and I feared the worst when I saw you" explained Arthur as he released the disgruntled teen.

"Ummm no problem Mr Weasley though I'm sure she could've handled herself" answered Rachel before winking at Ginny. She looked at the group before realizing that someone was missing, however, before she could voice her concern Ron beat her to it.

"Rachel you didn't see Harry while you were in there did you?" Rachel shook her head. Ron deflated slightly.

"Right well we need to go in and look for him then" stated Arthur as he lifted his wand to his face "Follow me kids and stick close" he ordered before running into the campsite.

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Please review.


	23. Chapter 23

I wasn't too pleased with the last chapter so here's the next one sooner rather than later and a fair bit longer. Thank you to everyone who reads this story and especially to those who review. Anyways here's a bit more relationship development between Rachel and the other characters. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

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The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 23 – The Dark Mark and Dinner with the Weasleys

"Sorry about dad stunning you like that. He's just really protective of Ginny" apologised Ron to the young Rothern. Arthur had sent Fred and George to the Port Key with Ginny and them to search for Harry while he and a group of Aurors searched for the culprits. Rachel shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

"It's fine. To be fair I'd have done the same thing if I were in his position" Ron smiled at her gratefully. Rachel nodded her head before walking onwards. Everyone was calling out Harry's name as they searched diligently for him.

Rachel glanced up at the dancing green image in the sky and frowned before shaking her head and following Ron and Hermione. She was surprised that the Death Eaters had grown so bold as to appear at such a high security event as the Quidditch World Cup but at the same time not that surprised since rumours were circulating and their appearance would merely add more fact to the rumours. A movement in the distance caught her eye.

"Wait" she called out to Ron and Hermione as she turned to get a better look. The figure was walking away from them at a slow pace. She started to run towards the person much to Ron and Hermione's surprise and the duo quickly chased after her. As they came closer to the person, who had their back to them recognition soon flooded through Ron and Hermione.

"Harry!" cried out Hermione. The raven haired boy turned in surprise was jerked to the side when Hermione grabbed onto his arm. He smiled at the bushy brunette and Ron.

"Rachel?" he asked in surprise as she came to halt behind Ron. She smiled at him which he quickly returned.

"Nice to see you to Harry" she stated.

"Been looking for you for ages mate. Thought we'd lost you" explained Ron as Harry turned away from them and looked up into the sky in horror at the image.

"What is that?" he yelled as he watched a serpent escape from the mouth of skull across the night sky. Before his question could be answered both Rachel and Hermione noticed dark smoke appearing around them.

"Get down!" barked Rachel as she pulled Harry down while Hermione pulled Ron. Red jets of energy collided above where their heads would've been as five voices commanded the 'Stupefy' stunning spell. After a few second of waiting for the five Aurors to realise they were just teenagers Rachel whipped out her wand from her jeans and grunted in frustration. She pointed her wand at the nearest person she could find, a stunning spell on the tip of her tongue before Arthur burst through the circle of people.

"Stop that's my son and his friends!" he demanded as he rushed towards the teens. Ron, Harry and Hermione smiled gratefully at Mr Weasley though Rachel still had her wand trained on the woman in front of her for she had yet to lower her wand.

"Which of you conjured it? Was it you witch?" demanded an incredibly irritating voice as a man with a tash, a bowler hat and a brandished wand approached the teens. He quickly took note of Rachel having her wand out and immediately approached her with accusation in his eyes and his wand pointed at her

"Why have you got your wand out?" he barked at her, though she merely glared at him and kept her wand pointed at him. "You know it is illegal for you to use magic at your age" Rachel's glare merely deepened.

"I will defend myself if I am being attacked regardless of the law on underage magic" she growled defiantly at the arrogant man before her as she looked him right in the eye. A soft hand gently gripped onto her wrist, drawing her attention away from her staring contest and towards Hermione.

"Please Rachel lower your wand" pleaded Hermione. Rachel's face quickly lost its ferocity and softened at Hermione's request. Merlin she was turning into such a soft touch whenever it came to Hermione.

"Do as she tells you girl" Hermione tensed at the demand, hoping that Rachel would listen to her and not react to the pompous man before them. Rachel had kept her attention focused on Hermione and when concern and a little bit of fear flashed across the brunettes face at the man's demand Rachel couldn't bring herself to refuse Hermione's request. So she relented and put her wand back into her jeans before turning her attention back towards the man before her.

She smiled softly when she felt a slight squeeze on her wrist from Hermione, showing her appreciation for Rachel actually listening to her.

"No they were found at the scene of the crime and this one here had her wand out!" shrieked the man once again.

"Barty...they're just kids" pleaded Arthur as he stood next to the man. Barty. Barty Crouch. The name was familiar to Rachel as she stared at the man before her. He was tense and his pupils were tiny as they darted around in his wrinkly face.

"What crime?" asked Harry as he stared at the adults in confusion. Hermione turned her head towards Harry and whispered to him.

"It's the dark mark Harry. His mark" she explained as she glanced up at the sky. Harry quickly looked up at the image before looking back at Arthur and Mr Crouch.

"Voldemort..." gasped Harry in shock before realization dawned on his face "...those people tonight. They're his followers aren't they?" he asked. Arthur nodded his head in confirmation.

"Death Eaters" he stated. Crouch glanced at Arthur before lowering his wand which had been annoying Rachel throughout the conversation since he had kept it pointed at her.

"There was a man..." started Harry as Crouch signalled for the Aurors to leave and continue their search "...he ran off in that direction" finished Harry as he turned and pointed in the right direction.

"All of you follow me" ordered Crouch as he ran off in the direction Harry pointed in, closely followed by the Aurors. Rachel raised an eyebrow when the Auror she had pointed her wand at before Crouch intervened winked at her as she passed her. Arthur released a sigh of relief once the group vanished into the fog that had invaded the campsite before smiling at Rachel.

"It seems Rachel that you have gained the respect of one Miss Nymphadora Tonks" Rachel turned her attention to Arthur and gave him a questioning look. He merely shook his head in amusement.

"Never mind" he muttered. Rachel silently acknowledged the fact that Hermione had yet to release her wrist though secretly Rachel was finding it incredibly hard to not blush at the knowledge. So when she felt Hermione lean in and whisper into her ear, thanking her for listening to her advice, she couldn't stop the blush from forming on her cheeks.

"Rachel..." Thank Merlin for small miracles, or in this case Arthur Weasley for taking her mind off of how close Hermione was to her.

"I was hoping that you would join us for dinner tonight so I can make it up to you for the stunning spell earlier" Rachel was surprised by the invitation and could easily detect the guilt in Arthur's voice. So that's where Ginny and Ron get their emotional sensitivity from.

"Ummm I'm flattered really but you don't need to do that Mr Weasley. It was an honest mistake" assured Rachel though the man shifted uneasily.

"I would appreciate it very much if you did join us. I'm sure Molly would love to meet you after more than likely being told by Fred and George how you helped Ginny" Rachel couldn't say no to the hopeful look on Arthurs face.

"I'd love to" she answered. Arthur smiled gratefully at the young teen.

"Right then. We best get back to the house otherwise your mum's gonna have my head" everyone smirked at Arthur before following him back to the Port Keys location while Rachel felt nothing but disappointment as Hermione released her wrist.

"Molly we're home and we've brought a guest!" bellowed Arthur as he entered the Burrow. Harry, Ron and Hermione filed into the house after Mr Weasley while Rachel inhaled in the doorway. Nervous. She felt bloody nervous to say the least. Here she was a near enough stranger to Mr and Mrs Weasley and they were probably going to scrutinize her for all she was worth. If Arthur assumed just by looking at her that she was trouble then his wife will probably think the same. Oh Merlin why couldn't she have just said no in the first place instead of putting herself through this.

So lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Hermione stop in the hallway and look back at her in concern. Rachel was standing there as stiff as a board with the most anxious expression on her face that made Hermione pity her instantly. Turning her head Hermione watched as Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Fred and George all greeted Arthur, Ron and Harry. Convinced that they had momentarily forgotten about herself and Rachel, Hermione turned from the room and walked back towards Rachel.

"Rachel..." the raven haired teen snapped out of her thoughts with a look of shock plastered across her face. She looked at Hermione and smiled nervously.

"Everything's going to be fine Rachel, they're going to love you" encouraged Hermione with a kind smile. Rachel raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Oh please Mr Weasley stunned me because I looked like trouble. I don't even want to think about what his wife will do. Probably the same I imagine" Hermione shook her head.

"Trust me. You're going to be fine they're really nice people. They accepted me and Harry in a heartbeat and treat us like their own" Rachel shrugged her shoulders before breathing in deeply.

"Thank you Hermione" Hermione smiled at her encouragingly.

"Rachel?" asked a feminine voice. Rachel glanced over Hermione's shoulder and grinned at Ginny as she jogged up to her. Hermione moved out the way as Ginny enveloped Rachel in a hug. A twinge of jealously flared up within her at their closeness though she quickly smothered it. Wait. Jealous? She wasn't jealous. Was she?

"Hey Hermione" greeted Ginny as she released Rachel and hugged the brunette. Hermione smiled and hugged her back. The hug was brief and when it ended Ginny grabbed onto Rachel's hand.

"Come on mum's dying to meet you" explained Ginny happily as she pulled Rachel towards the living room. The poor teen threw Hermione a helpless look which forced Hermione to stifle a giggled as she followed the pair.

Ginny released Rachel's hand as they entered the room. Rachel recognised Harry and Ron sitting on two comfy chairs, the twins sitting on a sofa and Mr Weasley leaning against a door frame that led into the kitchen. Rachel smiled weakly at everyone but when a gasp escaped from the fiery red head, middle aged woman standing next to Arthur the urge to flee was a difficult one to repress.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit she doesn't like me. Oh shit she's going to kill. Oh bollocks I'm a dead woman. These were the only things going on inside Rachel's head as she watched the woman approach her with almost cautious steps, the feeling that she was screwed. Once she stopped in front of her Rachel detected something along the lines of disbelief in her expression.

"Elizabeth?" she whispered as she analyzed Rachel. Dark eyebrows rose in surprise, not exactly what Rachel was expecting that's for sure.

"That's my mum's name" answered Rachel softly. She didn't notice the looks of confusion or the realization on Mr Weasley's face. She concentrated solely on Mrs Weasley. She watched fearfully as tears began to form in the woman's bright blue eyes.

"I was good friends with your mum at school. Merlin you look so much like her" whispered Mrs Weasley as she rested her hand against her throat. Wow. Was. Not. Expecting. That. The shock must've been obvious on her face. Before Rachel could blink Mrs Weasley wrapped her arms around her and gave her the fiercest hug she had ever experienced.

"You are welcome here dear anytime you want. I have so many questions to ask you about your mum how is she? What has she been up to all these years? What does she do now?" the questions were relentless and numerous but only one bit of information could answer them all.

"Mrs Weasley" whispered Rachel. The woman pulled back and held Rachel and an arm's length with her hands on her shoulders. The happiness on her face broke Rachel's heart. Rachel swallowed the forming lump in her throat and breathed deeply.

"My mum. Elizabeth...she...she..." Rachel couldn't find the right words that would lessen the pain she was about to inflict. This was one of the hardest things she had to do and having the woman in front of her look at her with such hope made her feel physically ill.

"...she...she's dead Mrs Weasley" Rachel watched the emotions dance across Mrs Weasley's face fearfully. The first was shock, complete and utter shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly agape. After a few minutes of tense silence her face tightened and her mouth closed. Rachel watched as her throat tensed and tears trickled from her eyes; denial and sadness. The other emotions Rachel couldn't decipher due to Mrs Weasley once again embracing her tightly.

Silent sobs shook her as tears trickled down Rachel's neck. The young Rothern wrapped her own arms around the trembling woman. A woman she had never met, had never spoken to and had yet to bond with. But at that moment in time the woman who she didn't know was one of the few people left in the world who could tell her about her mother and was clearly distraught and in need of comfort.

Rachel looked up and expected them to be the centre of attention to an unfortunate audience, however, she only saw the distraught face of Mr Weasley and Hermione, who's expression was expressionless but her eyes, Merlin her eyes were a swirl of emotion.

Rachel felt uncomfortable as she peered into Hermione's eyes. She didn't want Hermione to find out this way about her past. Hell, she didn't want Hermione ever finding out. But now she did and she couldn't help but fear Hermione's reaction to this knowledge more than she feared Mrs Weasley's reaction.

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Right I really hope you like this chapter and please review.


	24. Chapter 24

Right now bear with me on this chapter. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 24 – Turning Point in relationships

Ginny watched sadly from on top of the stairs as Rachel walked out of the living room and into the hallway. The teen's expression was stoic at best and the way her eyes were unfocused was any easy tell tale sign that she was lost in her thoughts. Ginny took one step forward and the staircase creaked, instantly attracting Rachel's attention. Dark blue eyes turned inside Rachel's head and focused on the youngest Weasley girl. A weak smile formed on her face before she turned her back on Ginny and proceeded to walk out the door.

The red head rushed down the stairs and noticed Hermione walking up to the doorway from the corner of her eye. The two girls looked at each other before Ginny released a sigh. Right enough was enough.

"You need to talk to her" stated Ginny as she watched Hermione look at the now closed door with concern in her eyes and on her face. Surprise quickly etched itself across her features as she turned her attention back to Ginny.

"Ginny I think talking is the last thing she wants to do" though she didn't really believe in her own words. More than anything she wanted to chase after Rachel and help her. She just didn't know how to. Rachel was a private person, whether that was by nature or by other means remained a mystery to Hermione. But, regardless Rachel didn't really open up to anyone about personal things unless absolutely necessary as she had just witnessed with Mrs Weasley.

Ginny released a frustrated sigh. Merlin how could the two most intelligent witches she had met also be the blindest witches she had ever met.

"Hermione. I am going to be as blunt as I possibly can with you. She needs you right now, you are the only person who has a chance of getting Rachel to open up..." when Hermione looked ready to argue with her Ginny smirked at her before continuing.

"You're afraid aren't you?" asked Ginny suddenly. The look on Hermione's face was absolutely priceless, her jaw was hanging open while her eyes widened.

"I am not afraid of Rachel in the slightest" declared Hermione indignantly.

"No but you're afraid that she'll push you away if you try and reach out to her" explained Ginny. She had watched them interact all throughout the school year and summer and it was so bloody obvious that they liked each other it was actually painful to watch them. Hermione frowned at her.

"Hermione don't even think about denying it I have way to many examples of your 'feelings' towards a certain raven haired beauty being more than simple friendship" stated Ginny. This could easily go badly. Ginny knew this. Either Hermione accepted what she said to be true or reject it completely and push away any thoughts of being with Rachel. A frightened look dawned on the brunettes face.

"It's okay Hermione. It's perfectly normal to have these feelings for someone." Hermione sighed in defeat. There was no point denying it anymore, she had romantic feelings for her best friend and she didn't in the slightest feel guilty about it.

"The feelings may be normal but what if she doesn't like me that way. What if she completely rejects me and I lose her as a friend?" Ginny smiled knowingly.

"Trust me Hermione. Just go out there and talk to her, comfort her, I can't imagine that telling everyone such a personal thing was a barrel of laughs for her" Hermione nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I'm going to go see if she's alright" stated Hermione with a shy smile before walking towards the door and out the house. A smug grin formed on Ginny's face as she watched the door close behind Hermione. Damn I'm good. Luna's gonna have kittens when she hears about this.

As Hermione closed the door behind herself she inhaled deeply to calm herself. Rachel was standing a few metres away from the house in the front garden, facing away from Hermione and looking out at the field in front of her. Hermione slowly approached, careful not to startle Rachel.

"Rachel?" asked Hermione. When the young Rothern didn't answer her straight away she felt her heart sink, maybe this wasn't a good idea and she should just give Rachel some space right now. As she turned to leave a soft, sorrowful voice broke her out of her self-defeating thoughts.

"Don't go" pleaded Rachel quietly. Hermione instantly turned back round.

"I like it when you're nearby. Makes everything else seem so manageable and clear" confessed Rachel though she kept her eyes on the field in front of her and didn't dare to look at Hermione, though if she had she would've noticed the blush on the young witches face.

Rachel's eyes slid shut as she breathed deeply to try and quell the sorrow that was breaking her heart. Her mother had died four years ago and yet talking to Mrs Weasley brought back all the pain and sadness that she had managed to suppress all these years. Maybe now was the time to finally let someone in before she started second guessing herself.

"I was ten when it happened. My father and brothers were off visiting family but mum had things to do and I didn't want to leave her all on her own..." Rachel stopped briefly to acknowledge to slight warmth that encompassed her left hand.

"...so we stayed home. My father and brothers had been gone for a few days and were due back the next morning when...when this thing came into our home in the middle of the night." Rachel spat angrily and her hand tightened into a fist in Hermione's hand.

"I woke to the sound of shouting in one of the rooms. I knew something was wrong so I shot out of bed and rushed towards the sounds...I sprinted into the room and saw my mum with her wand out and a sickly looking man with his out." Tears were forming behind Rachel's closed eyelids and were beginning to leak out from the corners of her eyes. Taking in a shaky breath she continued.

"...I'll never forget his face, slick black hair, sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. But most importantly the fangs that came out when he smiled at me...mum was scared and screamed at me to run away..."

Hermione released Rachel's hand and gently wrapped her arms around Rachel's thin but muscled waist. Resting her chin on Rachel's shoulder Hermione silently begged in her head that Rachel had done as she was asked and ran away from the monster from her past. Hermione recognised the person of Rachel's description to be the vampire she and Harry had encountered at the lake but right now she felt it wasn't the time to let Rachel now.

"What did you do?" asked Hermione quietly. She felt Rachel's body tremble in her arms from years of pent up anguish.

"I...I didn't run away...I couldn't leave her...I knew how to change my shape back then...I could've helped her fight him off but...but I didn't get the chance..." Rachel slowly reached for one of Hermione's hands, grasping it firmly in her own she guided away from where Hermione had rested it on her stomach to settle on her upper back. Hermione frowned as she felt a slight dip in the flesh just beyond Rachel's left shoulder blade. There was a slight, jagged rise in the flesh that ran from the bottom of her shoulder blade down to her lower back which she could easily feel through the fabric of Rachel's thin chequered shirt.

"Rachel what is this?" whispered Hermione softly as she rested her hand on her back.

"It's the exit wound to the spell he cursed me with" answered Rachel quietly. A gasp of horror escaped from Hermione as her mind reeled at the notion. That bastard had attacked a child! God how she wished she had killed the bastard when she had the chance.

"...I don't remember much after that. The medi-wizards at St Mungo's hospital told me that by all rights I should've died that night" Rachel dully noticed Hermione arms tighten around her. Almost as if she were afraid of the idea of her dying or she just found the information disturbing.

"I spent months in hospital...most of it I was unconscious for...but when I was finally conscious and not on any potions to ease the pain or aid the healing process I realized something was horribly wrong" Rachel's face tightened in grief as more tears escaped.

"Mum had died that night...he killed her after cursing me...it's my fault she's dead..." the guilt was horrific, it filled her heart making it feel like deadweight in her chest. Her face twisted in despair as the tears trickled steadily.

"Oh God Rachel how could it have been your fault? You were a child and you were attacked before you could do anything" whispered Hermione soothingly into her ear. All of that pain and senseless guilt had been lurking within her friend and she hadn't noticed. What kind of friend was she if she couldn't even see that.

"You don't understand...I should've done something! She was my mum and I didn't help her when she needed me! And now she's dead and I'm the one still here! I should've died that night not her...not her" Rachel had fallen into near hysteria as she released everything, all the pain of knowing her family despised her for something she couldn't prevent, the guilt of surviving when by all rights she should've died instead of her mum and the sadness and sorrow of knowing her mother was gone and never coming back. All of this had been slowly eating away at her for the last four years and now she finally snapped.

After minutes of sobbing Rachel slowly began to calm down. The sobs had descended into small sniffles before fading completely. Rachel slowly wiped away her tears before standing up-right in Hermione's arms. Hermione slowly moved without releasing Rachel from her arms and came to stand in front of the slightly calmer Rothern.

Looking up into her red, puffed up blue eyes Hermione reached up and wiped away a few tears from her cheek. Her head was screaming at her, demanding to know what the hell she was doing but her heart encouraged her onwards and gave her Gryffindor courage a boost.

"I'm glad you didn't die that night Rachel even if you're not. I'm so grateful that you're still here with us...with me" Hermione had yet to retract her hand from Rachel's cheek. Now was the time to be honest despite how nervous she felt. Rachel smiled weakly down at her though her heart was hammering a million miles a second from being so close to her.

"This is why you put yourself is danger isn't it?" asked Hermione even though she knew the truth and it hurt her to think that Rachel valued herself so little.

Rachel looked away from Hermione's sincere brown eyes. How could she explain this to Hermione when even she herself didn't understand? How could she make Hermione understand that whenever she was near her heart sped up, her hands became sweaty and she felt like a complete love struck fool who would do anything to make her happy?

The sound of sniffling attracted the pair's attention away from each and towards Mrs Weasley who appeared to be standing a few feet behind them.

"I take it you heard all of that then?" asked Rachel as she pulled away from Hermione, leaving the brunette fairly disappointed from the loss of contact. Mrs Weasley nodded slowly while her hands were cupped in front of her mouth and her tears began to slow. Rachel released a sigh as she looked anywhere but at Mrs Weasley or Hermione, this wasn't exactly how she had pictured her evening going that was for sure.

"Rachel you must understand that none of what happened to your mum was your fault" squeaked Mrs Weasley "You were just a child"

Rachel frowned, she knew Mrs Weasley was only trying to make her feel better but she simply wasn't going to be able to shift the guilt, anger and hate with just a few simple words. Rachel knew far better than that. Hermione watched the emotions dance across Rachel's face with slight apprehension; this wasn't something that could be fixed over night if it could be at all. That night would forever be imbedded in Rachel's mind no matter what anyone said.

"I think we should go back inside, it's getting a bit cold" suggested Hermione, shuddering at the sudden realization that the temperature had dropped. Mrs Weasley cast a sad glance at Rachel's back before nodding her head in agreement. Hermione looked from Mrs Weasley to Rachel who was determined not to meet her gaze.

"I should go. Father will be wondering where I am" stated Rachel. Hermione and Mrs Weasley shared a concerned glance with each other, they didn't want Rachel to leave nor did they feel particularly comfortable with her leaving on her own,

"You don't need to go...we've got plenty of room" offered Mrs Weasley, she had put Rachel through a lot of stress and didn't want things to end on a sour note. Hermione looked at Rachel hopefully, begging in her head that she would stay. Rachel turned to Mrs Weasley and smiled at her.

"Thank you for having me Mrs Weasley but I need to go now" the politeness was edged with a forced calm, more than anything Rachel just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

"Then I'll escort you back home then" offered Mrs Weasley, Rachel shook her head, crushing the hope that lingered in Hermione's heart.

"I'll be fine on my own. Thank you though" Hermione looked at Mrs Weasley, praying that the woman would try and make Rachel see sense. Mrs Weasley looked between the two girls before sighing in defeat. Rachel looked at Hermione and offered her a small smile.

from them for a yard before shifting into her black wolf form, much to Mrs Weasley's shock. However, Hermione couldn't understand the horrible nagging sensation in the back of her head, telling her that something was very wrong as she watched the black wolf vanish into the darkness.


	25. Chapter 25

And here's the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who continues to read this story and I hope you like this chapter. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 25 – The Triwizard Tournament and Illness

The sound of excited chatter filled the Great Hall once more at Hogwarts as the new term officially began. Hermione found herself sitting opposite Ron and Harry on the Gryffindor table and inbetween Rachel and Ginny. While the boys remained oblivious to Rachel's quiet demeanour she and Ginny had picked up on it the moment Rachel had joined them on the Hogwarts Express. Hermione had told Ginny the majority of Rachel's story though she left out the bit about the vampire or her injury and subsequent scar and they were both worried that Rachel would retreat into herself now that she was finally dealing with what happened.

The two girls tried to engage Rachel in conversation but the teen merely smiled at them and gave short replies to their questions which only made them worry more. They needed to talk to Luna; she was the only person they knew that could possibly help them bring Rachel out of herself. Hermione soon noticed that the Great Hall had grown quiet and turned her attention to Dumbledore as he prepared to address them.

"Now that we are all settled in and sorted I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well for Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard Tournament." The students burst into excited chatter as Dumbledore looked on from where he stood at the headmaster's podium.

"Now for those of you who don't know, the Tournament brings together three different schools for a series of different challenges for which a single student from each school is chosen to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen you stand alone and trust me when I say that these tasks are not for the faint hearted" the elderly headmaster searched the faces of his students and judging by the serious looks on their faces he knew that the seriousness of the tournament had indeed reached their understanding.

"But more of that later now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madame Maxime" the mood quickly elevated and everyone turned their attention towards the entrance to the great hall. The great oak doors slowly opened and girls in light blue uniforms filed down the middle aisle in a straight line. The Hogwarts students watched with interest, the boys in particular with more interest as the Beauxbaton students released light blue magical birds into the air as they walked, slowly followed by their headmistress.

"Blimey that's one big woman" stated Seamus as he nudged Ron in the back, who was beginning to drool as he stared at the girls much to the annoyance of Hermione and Ginny. The Beauxbaton students divided themselves into two lines in front of the two tables with side of the Great Hall before bowing. The Hogwarts student erupted into applause as Dumbledore greeted Madame Maxime. The Beauxbaton students took their seat at the empty table in front of the RavenClaw table and began to chatter amongst themselves in French. Once Madame Maxime took her seat at the professor's table Dumbledore once again took his place behind his podium and raised his hands to silence his students.

"And now our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Dumstrang and their headmaster Igor Karkaroff!"

Young men entered the Great Hall dressed in thick brown coats with staffs in their hands. They tapped their staff's against the floor rhythmically as they walked while chanting. Everyone watched in fascination as the three boys leading the line dropped their staffs and charged towards Dumbledore. Just a few metres from the elderly headmaster the boys broke apart and performed impressive acrobatics much to the entertainment of everyone else. The Dumstrang headmaster walked up the aisle after his students with one particularly special student at his side.

"Blimey it's him. Viktor Krum" whispered Ron in awe as he watched his Quidditch hero join his brothers at their designated table in front of the Hufflepuff table while their headmaster greeted Dumbledore like an old friend.

Now that the drama of greeting the visitors was over the atmosphere returned to its original chattiness. The students dug into their feast heartily and much to Hermione's disgust and Ginny's mortification Ron decided to feast and chat and the same time, sending half-eaten food spewing out of his mouth.

"Ron for the love of Merlin don't multi-task" pleaded Ginny while Neville, Harry and Seamus sniggered at her plea. Ron threw her a dirty look before finishing what he was eating. Hermione shook her head in amusement before looking at Rachel. The girl was looking paler than usual and slightly sickly. Before she could ask what was wrong Seamus turned to Rachel and flashed her a grin.

"Hey Rachel take a look at who keeps staring at ya from the Beauxbaton table" he stated with a cheeky grin. Rachel ignored him much to his and Hermione's concern. Glancing up at the Beauxbaton table Harry noticed that a blonde haired, icy blue eyed beauty was staring intently at Rachel.

"Wow Rachel she's really good looking" stated Harry before he too turned his attention to the sickly looking Rothern. Rachel closed her eyes to try and ease her light headedness.

"Rachel are you alright?" asked Hermione in concern. Rachel opened her eyes and looked up at Hermione. Her vision was slightly blurry but she managed to focus enough to recognise the worry on the brunette's face. She offered her a small smile.

"I'm fine just not feeling great at the moment. I think I'm gonna head up to bed" stated Rachel as she got up from her seat slightly slower than usual to try and at least appear if nothing serious was wrong.

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Hermione, she was worried since she had never seen Rachel look so ill. Rachel shook her head.

"No I think I can manage. I'll see you all later" and with that the young Rothern walked out of the Main Hall, unaware of the icy blue eyes that followed her movements. Hermione turned in her seat to face Ginny, Harry and Ron.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" asked Ginny. Ron looked up from his food and swallowed.

"I'm sure she's fine Gin, let her get some sleep and she'll be right as rain in the morning" comforted Ron. Harry nodded in agreement though both Hermione and Ginny were still worried. At some point during the evening Luna joined them and sat in the space provided by Rachel's absence.

"Hello everyone" greeted Luna with a dreamy smile plastered on her face. Hermione and Ginny greeted the blonde haired RavenClaw but the boys hadn't heard her and just continued with their Quidditch conversation. Luna looked around the table.

"Rachel isn't here?" asked Luna. Hermione shook her head.

"She said she wasn't feeling well so she went to bed. I'm worried Luna she looked really sick" explained Hermione. Luna nodded in understanding. It was unusual for Rachel to be ill; she couldn't even recall the raven haired Rothern catching so much as a cold in the years she had known her. The evening continued with Hermione and Ginny continuing to worry about Rachel and Luna eventually returning to the RavenClaw table until Dumbledore once again began to address the students.

"You're attention please." Everyone immediately fell silent upon his request. "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory is what awaits the student who wins the tournament. But to obtain that glory that student must complete three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks and for this reason the Ministry has decided to impose a new rule" Ron watched from the corner of his eye as a figure limped into the Great Hall from a side door.

"Bloody hell it's Mad Eye Moody" whispered Ron. Harry and Hermione quickly turned round and observed the strange man.

"Alistair Moody? The Auror?" asked Hermione for clarification. Dean frowned at the trio in confusion.

"Auror?" he asked.

"Dark wizard catcher. Half the cells in Azkaban are filled because of him" explained Ron before they turned their attention back to Dumbledore.

"To explain this new rule we have the Head of the Department for International Magical Co-Operation, Mr Bartimus Crouch" the trio instantly recognised the man to be the one who accused them of creating the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup. The irritating man who had threatened Rachel walked around the cylinder shaped object that had replaced the headmaster's podium and stood to address everyone.

"After due consideration the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament..." the rest of his explanation was drowned out by the protests of the student body. After a few moments Dumbledore stepped forward

"Silence!" he bellowed and immediately the students grew quiet. Dumbledore turned his attention to the cylinder next to him and point his wand at it. The object slowly pulled itself downwards to reveal a giant goblet, once the cylinder had vanished a blue flame formed just above the goblet.

"The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament simply write your name on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame by this hour Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there is no turning back" Another hour passed before the Great Hall was vacated.

Hermione excused herself from the others and went to go check on Rachel. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her heart; she had never seen anyone look that sick without being in the infirmary or a muggle hospital. She quickly found herself climbing the steps towards the girl's dormitory. Upon entering she quickly searched for Rachel, she soon found the teen lying on her side on her designated bed dressed in black pyjama bottoms and a thin black vest. She quietly approached, not wanting to disturb the teen. She knelt down in front of the bed and analyzed Rachel's appearance. There was a slight sheen of sweat on her body but her breathing was even which calmed Hermione slightly. Reaching forward she brushed her hand against Rachel's forehead, she wasn't warm so she wasn't suffering from a fever at least.

"Hey" whispered Rachel, shocked that the teen was awake Hermione fell back onto her arse in surprise. The young Rothern smiled weakly at the surprised look on Hermione's face.

"Sorry I woke you I just wanted to make sure you were alright. How are you feeling?" explained Hermione as she got up from the floor and brushed her clothes off. Rachel's smile widened by a fraction.

"I still feel a bit light headed but thank you for checking up on me" whispered Rachel gratefully, Hermione smiled back before frowning.

"Do you think you should go to the infirmary?" asked Hermione as she sat down on the bed. Rachel shook her head against her pillow before smiling sadly.

"Madame Pomphrey can't help me with what I've got" she whispered. Hermione frowned in concern and confusion. Rachel sighed weakly, silently hating herself for being awake when Hermione came in and now she was going to have to explain herself otherwise Hermione would only continue to worry. She cast her eyes to her side table.

"Can you get me the small pill box in that drawer please" she whispered. Hermione nodded as she reached for the drawer, wondering why on earth someone as fit and healthy as Rachel would need medicine. Pulling out the small container Hermione looked at the label but didn't understand what it meant. Rachel slowly moved onto her back so she could see Hermione better.

"Rachel what are these for?" asked Hermione. Rachel sighed before looking at the container in Hermione's hand.

"They're for my heart. I'm like this at the moment because I forgot to take them earlier; I've had a lot on my mind so..." she trailed off. Hermione nodded in understanding but at the same time she didn't understand, why would Rachel hide something like this from her friends? Why wouldn't she tell them that she was sick?

"What's wrong with you heart Rachel?" asked Hermione. Rachel looked to side and closed her eyes. Hermione couldn't help but notice the edge of the scar on Rachel's chest poking out just above her vest.

"It's because of that isn't it?" asked Hermione as she looked from the scar to Rachel. The teen sighed in defeat, now Hermione would think her weak and incapable.

"My heart was damaged Hermione, the healers at St Mungo's have done all that they can with it at the moment. Now it beats irregularly and if I don't take the medication they prescribed to me then my heart beats slower and my blood pressure goes down" explained Rachel. Hermione nodded in understanding though she couldn't help the sadness that infected her with this new knowledge.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner and you had to find out like this. I just didn't want you to worry about me" whispered Rachel as she looked up at Hermione, silently pleading that she would understand. Hermione released a sigh before smiling and rolling the pill container around in her hands.

"Seems like I'm getting to find out a lot of new things about you doesn't it?" she stated while Rachel smiled weakly up at her. Hermione reached forward and placed the pill container back into the drawer before closing it.

"How about a promise Rachel? No more secrets. If you need me I'll be here for you and if I need you you'll be there for me?" offered Hermione. Rachel's smile widened, she could tell that Hermione was hurt by the fact that she hadn't told her about her condition and this arrangement would help make it up to her.

"Okay. No more secrets" agreed Rachel. Hermione smiled a real genuine smile at her which in turn made her feel happier about the situation.

"Okay then. You should go back to sleep and get better. I'll see you in the morning" stated Hermione as she got up and turned to leave.

"Thank you Hermione. For everything" whispered Rachel before closing her eyes. Hermione couldn't stop the happiness that spread throughout her at hearing Rachel's appreciation; perhaps both she and Ginny were worrying over nothing about Rachel retreating into herself.


	26. Chapter 26

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 26 – Conversations, Match-Making and Interesting Circumstances

Hermione smiled widely as Rachel sat in front of her as she joined them for breakfast. The raven haired Rothern was certainly looking much better than last night which eased Hermione's concern. Rachel nodded her head and offered a smile of her own to the brunette in greeting.

"Hey Rachel how're you feeling this morning?" asked Ron as he turned in his seat so he was looking at Rachel. The teen shrugged her shoulders.

"Much better than last night, I think it was the food" answered Rachel. Hermione rolled her eyes, typical that Rachel would want to keep her illness a secret for as long as possible. Rachel winked at Hermione which merely made the brunette blush slightly before turning away, making Rachel chuckle under her breath.

"Hey Rachel how're you feeling?" asked Ginny as she wrapped her arms around the ebony haired teens neck as she stood behind her. Rachel smiled at the happy red-head.

"Much better thanks Ginny" stated Rachel as she patted her arm. Ginny smiled before looking up at Hermione and giving her a meaningful look, almost asking her silently if Rachel was telling the truth. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. Ginny rolled her eyes before shaking her head.

"Anyway I just wanted to come and check on you before heading off. Me and Luna are going to help Hagrid feed a few of the creatures before our lessons" explained Ginny before looking up at the long haired blonde who was waiting patiently at the entrance for her. Rachel smiled up at the red head in appreciation.

"Thank you Ginny but really I'm fine" stated Rachel. Ginny tightened her arms slightly around her neck before releasing the teen. She said her goodbyes to everyone before walking towards Luna and vanishing around the corner. Rachel watched silently as Ron leaned across the table to say something to her from where he sat next to Hermione.

"That Beauxbaton girl is staring at you again Rachel" stated Ron as his eyes flickered from Rachel to the Beauxbaton table then to Rachel. The raven haired teen frowned in confusion before turning her head to the side so she could look over her shoulder; for once the youngest Weasley boy was right. A gorgeous looking young woman with piercing blue eyes was staring straight at her from where she sat next to a much younger looking girl.

"Who is she?" asked Rachel as she turned her head back round, her expression one of confusion. Ron shrugged his shoulders while Harry shook his head.

"Her name is Fleur Delacour" answered Hermione. Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"Who's she then?" asked Rachel in confusion, was she someone she should know? Was she someone incredibly important? Now it was Hermione's turn to shrug.

"No idea though I know that's her younger sister, Gabrielle, sitting next to her" answered Hermione. Ron frowned at her in confusion before proceeding to interrogate the bushy brunette on how she gained such knowledge. While the two argued over Ron's apparent infatuation with the eldest Delacour, Rachel couldn't help but look over her shoulder to look at the young woman once again. Something inside her, instincts she supposed, warned her to be cautious of Ms Delacour though she just couldn't put her finger on why.

"So Rachel you going to be trying out for the Quidditch team again this year?" asked Harry. Rachel quickly turned her attention away from Fleur Delacour to focus on Harry's question.

* * *

"Fleur?" asked a small voice coated with a thick French accent. The beautiful blonde blinked a few times before turning her attention away from the mysterious raven haired Gryffindor and towards her little sister.

"Oui Gabrielle?" identical blue eyes looked up into her own with amusement. Fleur waited for her sister to voice her thoughts patiently, she wasn't known for her patience and was often sharp and direct with people except when it came to Gabrielle. The youngest Delacour glanced at the young teen who had captured her sister's interest before looking back up at Fleur.

"Tu n'as pas touché à ton petit-déjeuner. Tu te sens bien ?" (1) Fleur rolled her eyes at her little sister's concern. It was typical of Gabrielle to worry about her, something she had picked up from mother no doubt.

"Gabrielle tu devrait améliorer ton anglais tant qu'on est ici, donc parle en anglais s'il te plait." (2) Gabrielle threw her sister a frustrated look.

"Oui Fleur but zis language is very difficult" moaned Gabrielle. Fleur smirked to herself in amusement at her sister frustrated look but mother had asked her to make sure that Gabrielle practiced and so she would ensure that her sister would.

"So who iz zat? Ze one you keep staring at?" asked Gabrielle curiously. Fleur frowned indignantly.

"I 'ave not been staring at anyone Gabrielle. Merely observing" defended Fleur much to Gabrielle's amusement. For all her wit and cunning, the eldest Delacour was certainly the easiest to wind up. And also the more obvious of the two.

"Fleur you 'ave been staring at zat girl so don't bozzer to deny it" sighed Gabrielle as she leaned on the table and rested her chin on her palm. Fleur shook her head, her sister was definitely more observant that she let on, something she blamed on her quiet and deductive nature.

"Alright Gabrielle oui I 'ave been staring at 'er. Zere is somezing about 'er zat I cannot put my finger on. She looked very sick last night and for some strange reason I woz worried. How odd is zat?" Gabrielle nodded in acknowledgment. It wasn't often that Fleur took much notice of some stranger so for her to take an interest meant that the veela within her was reacting to the stranger.

"Perhaps you should introduce yourself" suggested Gabrielle as she looked up at the laughing teen. "She seems nice" she added. Fleur followed Gabrielle's line of sight and she too looked at the raven haired teen, something in her stomach turned as she watched her laugh.

"Maybe I will but not now when she iz surrounded by 'er friends. I will wait until she iz alone" conceded Fleur much to her sister's triumph. Gabrielle, unlike Fleur, had a very good feeling about this stranger.

* * *

"So Luna did you manage to corner Rachel over the summer?" asked Ginny as she followed Luna towards Hagrid's hut. The long haired blonde smiled dreamily as she walked down the stone steps.

"I did try and talk to her about Hermione though she seemed reluctant to divulge anything about how she feels about her. She would compliment Hermione but wouldn't go any further than that" answered Luna. Ginny released a frustrated sigh. Honestly how could they not notice the obvious spark between them? It boggled the mind it really did.

"I managed to get a bit out of Hermione though I've gotta be honest it wasn't exactly a confession of her undying love for Rachel but she certainly didn't deny that she has 'feelings' for her" informed Ginny with a very mischievous smile on her face. Luna smiled in amusement.

"Do you think Rachel has feelings for Hermione?" asked Ginny suddenly, Hermione might be an easy one to crack but Rachel was on a whole different level. Luna shrugged her shoulders in a non-committable way.

"I think she does she just isn't very good at expressing herself when it comes to how she feels. Rachel was never very open about herself and will probably remain that way" explained Luna as the two girls approached the hut near the forest. Ginny nodded.

"Though I think we should leave them to figure it out for themselves unless they approach us for help" stated Luna thoughtfully as she knocked on Hagrid's door. Easier said than done thought Ginny as they waited for Hagrid to answer. Ginny couldn't help it; she just wanted to see Hermione and Rachel happy. It didn't take a genius to notice Hermione brighten up whenever Rachel was around nor to notice that Rachel was much more chatty and relaxed around Hermione. The two were good for each other and Ginny was determined to see them get together, even if it killed her.

* * *

Rachel walked towards the library with her school bag slung over one shoulder, she had a killer essay to write of the creation and potential of the healing potion know as Dittany for Potions, had to research for a project on Centaurs for Magical Creature Studies and somehow fit in some Quidditch practice for the Gryffindor team trials in a few days. As she approached a corner she was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of laughter, only this laughter didn't sit right with her. It was the kind of laughter she knew to be at the expense of others rather than from say a funny joke etc.

Turning the corner Rachel analyzed the situation, three boys and from the size of them they were either fourth or fifth years, all wearing the green and silver colours of the Slytherin house were effectively intimidating the small girl Rachel instantly recognised to be Gabrielle Delacour from the Beauxbaton table.

"Come on Frenchie say something funny with that stupid accent of yours" goaded one of them, a lanky dark haired boy with slight stubble on his chin. The other two snickered and prevented her from getting away from them by stepping in front of her every which way she turned. Fucking pricks fumed Rachel.

"Hey!" she barked out, her blood was boiling and her anger was justified. The three boys turned their attention away from Gabrielle and towards Rachel. Their grins widened at the appearance of the blood traitor.

"Well if it isn't the reject. Tell me Rothern how does it feel to be hated by your own family" laughed the lanky one while the others grinned. One of them, Peter Sarasin grabbed hold of Gabrielle and held her in front of him with his arm around her neck. Rachel glared at Peter angrily.

"Let her go" she threatened as she dropped her bag. The leader, Leon Cravatt shook his head as he approached Rachel slowly.

"Can't do that for you see if we let her go then we've got no leverage over you. You make a move and Peter here will hurt the little thing" Rachel froze in place as Leon and his other lackey circled her. Her eyes followed them before focusing on Gabrielle's frightened blue eyes.

"You'll be alright" mouthed Rachel before smiling at her. Leon noticed this and pulled back his right fist before punching Rachel in the stomach, the Rothern instantly bent forwards and Leon punched her a few more times before letting her drop to the ground. Rachel wheezed before his other lackey approached and kicked her a few times in the stomach.

"Stop it!" pleaded Gabrielle but Peter covered her mouth with his hand. Leon turned his attention to little Gabrielle and approached her slowly.

"I can't do that little Frenchie for you see this is the only time that Rachel won't fight back because we have you and she doesn't want little children to get hurt because she has a heart. So me and my friends need to take advantage of her weakness and exploit it for our own benefit" explained Leon before turning and signalling for his friend to stop. Rachel grunted as she slowly got to her hands and knees. Leon grinned before nodding at his friend; his friend pulled his right leg back before kicking Rachel square in the chest. The force of the kick sent her flying onto her back with a hiss of pain.

"Merlin is this the best you have to offer Rachel? The great Rachel Rothern gets her arse kicked because she doesn't want a little foreigner to get hurt. Merlin your brothers are right about you, you are weak" Rachel glared up at him, Merlin how she wanted to knock that damn smirk off his face but with Gabrielle in harm's way it simply wasn't worth it. Leon snorted before signalling for Peter to continue. A few more kicks to the head later Leon snorted before looking at Peter.

"Let her go. I want to see what Rachel will do now" laughed Leon. Peter and the other Slytherin laughed as Gabrielle was released while Rachel got to her feet. She was definitely going to have bruises in the morning that was for sure. Rachel quickly reached for Gabrielle as the young Beauxbaton approached her.

"Go on get out of here. I'll deal with them" spoke Rachel as she pushed Gabrielle behind her. The young French student shook her head defiantly. Rachel sighed, though it made her ribs ache.

"Go on get back to the your sister and school mates. I'll be fine" encouraged Rachel.

"Enough talk!" spat Leon as he hurled a stunning spell at Rachel, the Rothern reacted quickly and deflected the spell with her wand before glaring at Leon.

"Bring it on you fucking loser" she growled angrily. Gabrielle hid herself behind the hallway corner that Rachel had appeared from and watched in amazement as Rachel summoned an arsenal of spells to both stun and deflect.

"Gabrielle?" asked a very familiar French accented voice. The youngster turned and was greeted by her sister and a few other Beauxbaton students.

"Fleur! Please help 'er she is being attacked because of me" pleaded Gabrielle. Fleur's eyes immediately grew icy cold as she brandished her wand and stalked around the corner. Fear ignited within the eyes of Leon, Peter and their other friend as they looked behind Rachel and saw a group of severely pissed off looking seventh year Beauxbaton students.

"Shit!" cursed Leon before he turned and legged it down the corridor, closely followed by the other two. Rachel inhaled deeply and exhaled as she watched them run away. She shook her head in disgust before turning around. She looked at the group behind her with surprise. Fleur analyzed her, there was a bit of blood pouring from a wound to the side of her head and the way she was tilting to one side as she stood suggested that her torso had been attacked as well.

"Zank you" spoke Gabrielle gratefully as she hugged the young Rothern. Rachel winced slightly before wrapping her arms around the small girl. The group of girls visibly relaxed behind Fleur and smiled appreciatively at Rachel for helping Gabrielle.

"Oui zank you for protecting my little sister" thanked Fleur "and to whom am I zanking?" asked Fleur. Rachel smiled as Gabrielle released her waist.

"Rachel. Rachel Rothern" greeted the raven haired teen as she reached out her hand.

"Fleur Delacour. And zis is Gabrielle" introduced Fleur as she grabbed onto her outstretched hand and shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you" stated Rachel with a smile. Fleur smiled down at the teen who was only a mere inch shorter than herself. However, her smile was merely a facade. Grateful though she was that Rachel had intervened in order to protect her sister something about Rachel was churning her Veela side into a frenzy, it whispered in her ear to be wary of this one for she was not all she appeared to be. However, for once she decided to ignore the animalistic side of her personality and simply be civil with the pretty stranger.

It wasn't only Fleur's veela blood that was ablaze with animal instinct. Unfortunately for Rachel, being an animagus made her psyche more in tune with the wolf than she cared to admit. Her instincts were screaming at her that this pretty face before her was a threat that needed to be dealt with. Thankfully, her humanity prevailed in strength and she pushed the urge down. Only time would tell if Ms Delacour would prove to be a friend or an enemy.

"We are late for class. Perhaps I shall see you around non?" asked Fleur. Rachel smiled before nodding.

"I'm sure you will" stated Rachel. The Beauxbaton students turned and began to walk away from Rachel who in turn reached down for her bag, wincing in pain as her ribs ached. She waved back at Gabrielle who was waving at her with a smile on her face before turning and heading towards the library.

"Hermione's going to fucking kill me when she finds out" whispered Rachel to herself as she thought of how she was going to explain the royal arse kicking she got without making Hermione worry too much. Maybe promising to keep no secrets from the bushy brunette would prove to be a bit more difficult that intended.

* * *

Okay here's another chapter for ya. Rachel sure gets a kicking dont she in this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter and here are the translations for ya.

(1) "You have not touched your breakfast. Are you feeling alright?"

(2) "Gabrielle you should practice your English while we are here so speak in English please"


	27. Chapter 27

Okay I want to thank satsuki75 for the help on the French translations on the last chapter, thanks a bunch for that since I'm completely useless at foreign languages and thank you to all those who have been reviewing. Seriously I really appreciate it and it motivates me to write more. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 27 – Friendly advice, Confessions and Planning

Rachel thanked the architect behind Hogwarts that he placed the girl's bathroom along the trail towards the library, the wound on her head wasn't serious but enough blood had escaped from it to draw attention. She also thanked whatever supernatural being there was that the hallways were virtually deserted so she didn't have to put up with anyone questioning her appearance and that upon her arrival the bathroom was also empty.

Sighing to herself she stood in front of a sink and mirror, dropping her school bag she looked at her reflection. She winced as she pulled some of her hair away from where it had stuck to the already dried blood.

"Lovely" muttered Rachel sarcastically as she frowned up at the stringy strands of black hair between her fingers. Wincing slightly she reached for the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up slightly, her frown deepened as she saw the slight swelling of bruising along her stomach and side.

"Crap what a dilemma. Should I tell Hermione and make her worry..." Rachel lowered her shirt before looking in the mirror "...or should I not?" she asked herself.

"I would tell her if I were you" any dignity that Rachel had left was instantly thrown out the window when she yelped in surprise at the sudden answer to her rhetorical question.

"AH! Luna!" yelled Rachel in surprise as she twisted round to look at the smiling blonde who stood near the entrance. Rachel put a hand to her chest to try and quell her racing heart.

"Bloody hell Luna I wish you wouldn't do that" stated Rachel as she breathed deeply. Luna simply shrugged her shoulder as she approached Rachel.

"Been getting into fights again Rachel?" asked Luna as she reached forward and brushed ebony hair over Rachel's ear. The blood was dry and sticking to the side of her face and neck. The raven haired Rothern shrugged her shoulders; she didn't want Luna thinking that she was once again picking fights and getting beaten up just for the hell of it. She had been reckless and angry during her first two years at Hogwarts and if someone said something that she didn't like, nearly every time it was a Slytherin who did, she reacted.

"No Luna I haven't" answered Rachel quietly. The blonde haired RavenClaw nodded as she turned Rachel's head to the side and analyzed the wound. The wound wasn't serious and could easily be fixed with a particular healing charm that Luna was more than familiar with since she was always the one who fixed up Rachel after her fights.

Luna withdrew her hand and reached into her robes, Rachel turned to look at Luna and smiled slightly as Luna withdrew her wand; the blonde witch took a few steps back before pointing her wand at Rachel's head and muttered a quick spell. Rachel twitched at the sudden pull on her skin.

"Thanks Luna" stated Rachel as she smiled appreciatively at the RavenClaw. Luna nodded with a knowing smile of her own before Rachel turned to the sink and turned the tap to let the water run.

"I still think you should tell Hermione, though what you should tell her I'm not entirely sure" stated Luna as she walked over and leaned her hip against one of the sinks. Rachel slowly cleaned away the dried blood with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Hermione cares about you Rachel" that simple sentence was enough to make Rachel stop in her tracks and actually look away from the mirror and at Luna.

"I just...I don't want to tell her because I don't want her to think I'm incapable, that I'm weak" whispered Rachel before she looked back at the mirror and smiled mockingly at her reflection.

"Why would she think that?" asked Luna.

"Because I just got my arse handed to me by a bunch of Slytherins that's why!" barked Rachel which made Luna jump slightly. Rachel instantly grew ashamed of herself for snapping. She sighed before leaning on the sink with her head bowed forward

"You like her don't you Rachel." Stated Luna, it was obvious that Rachel cared for Hermione otherwise she wouldn't bat an eye at Hermione's opinion. Rachel chuckled to herself.

"It's that obvious? I do Luna; I care about her a lot. I want to look after her, to protect her even though I know she doesn't need it. Whenever I'm with her I just want to see her smile, to make her laugh. I want her to be happy but more than anything I want to be the one to make her happy" Luna was slightly surprised by Rachel's confession; it was incredibly rare for Rachel to divulge her feelings to anyone. Rachel scoffed.

"I promised her I wouldn't keep secrets from her. But I don't want her to know about how I just got beaten up by these boys in Slytherin because I didn't want them to hurt Gabrielle Delacour. I mean, what good am I to her if I can't protect a little girl and myself from some Slytherin punks? Some Gryffindor I turned out to be huh" Luna hated it when Rachel acted like this. She was always so quick to degrade herself, something she picked up from her family no doubt.

"Why would she want anything to do with me? Hell I'd do anything for her but what can I offer her? Someone who's weak and pathetic" Luna frowned in disapproval.

"You really can't see it can you" stated Luna sadly. Rachel looked up in confusion. "No one who cares about you thinks of you like that. Not me, not Ginny and certainly not Hermione. We don't see someone who is weak, pathetic and needs protection. We see a strong, caring and selfless person who would do anything for the people she cares about." Rachel closed her eyes before looking away from Luna.

"Hermione cares about you and it would hurt her if you kept this from her" Luna wasn't lying, she had been there when Hermione had clutched at Rachel's hand when she lay unconscious in the infirmary with tears in her eyes, had watched her blush incessantly during the summer at Ginny's sly remarks about her and Rachel but she had watched Hermione from the RavenClaw table last night worry about Rachel's health. That did not sound like someone who didn't care. Rachel sighed heavily.

"You're right. I should tell her about what happened earlier" agreed Rachel. Luna smirked.

"You should also tell her how you feel about her" offered Luna. Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Luna as if she truly were insane. Which even to this day Rachel wasn't a hundred percent sure Luna was completely sane.

"I think you should talk to her on the next trip to Hogsmeade. There will be one coming up next month, get her alone and just say what springs to mind" Rachel didn't want to admit it but Luna's plan did hold some appeal to her.

"Okay then now if, this is completely hypothetical, if I decided to tell her how I feel about her what would I say?" asked Rachel. Luna shrugged.

"Why don't you just confess your love and kiss her?" suggested Luna, the more Rachel thought about the more certain she grew of the fact Luna might not be of this earth. Luna quickly noted the look on Rachel's face.

"Maybe you should tell her what you just told me, about how you want to be the one to make her happy etc?" suggested Luna. Rachel had to admit that had more potential of success than the other suggestion. Merlin she could only imagine the look on Hermione's face if she just walked up to her, confessed to love her and then kiss her. The bushy teen would hex her on the spot once she got over her shock. The more Rachel thought about confessing her feelings for the bushy bookworm the more she felt her courage grow within her. She could do this. She could convince Hermione to give her a chance.

"Right. Next Hogsmeade visit I'm going to tell her." Stated Rachel confidently.


	28. Chapter 28

Right you're either gonna love me or hate me for this but hey drama is drama. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 28 – Hogsmeade and Unexpected Revelations

The next few weeks were nothing short of chaos for everyone at Hogwarts what with the drama of Harry Potter being chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, the poor boy quickly became unpopular with the main student body and they had no problem with showing their distaste by wearing badges that would one minute say 'Go Cedric Diggory' with a picture of the seventh year's face on the front before switching around on demand to 'Potter stinks' with a picture of Harry on it. Safe to say people only ever made their badges switch whenever Harry was nearby.

For some reason beyond Rachel, Ron had decided to jump on the band wagon and make an arse of himself by either ignoring Harry or having a go at him for something Rachel believed he had no part in, putting his name in the Goblet of Fire.

Rachel sighed to herself as she sat on a bench in the Hogwart gardens, her hands twitched nervously as she waited for Hermione to show up so they could go on the planned Hogsmeade visit. Ginny, Neville, Harry and Luna were already at Hogsmeade and would wait for them at the Hogsmeade cafe. Hermione had forgotten about a library book that was due to be returned so she had quickly raced back to the Gryffindor Tower to retrieve it and much to Rachel's annoyance both Luna and Ginny had suggested that she wait for the bushy brunette and they could both catch them up with knowing smirks on both their faces.

"Damn you Luna" muttered Rachel under her breath. And so Rachel waited for Hermione, her confidence one minute rocketing to new heights and making her think she definitely had a chance with Hermione and then the next minute her confidence would plummet to new lows and she would think what the hell was she on?

"Rachel you didn't have to wait I could've caught up" the young Rothern looked up and smiled at intelligent Gryffindor.

"Maybe I wanted to wait" stated Rachel as she stood up. The pair started walking towards Hogsmeade with Hermione voicing her opinions on the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Apparently Hermione didn't agree at all with his teaching methods and to be fair neither did Rachel, to openly use the Unforgivable curses was one thing but to perform them in front of a class of fourteen year olds was something else entirely.

"So how did your Quidditch try-out go?" asked Hermione as she walked next to Rachel. The raven haired teen grinned happily and the topic.

"It went really well, so well in fact that I've been picked again to be one of the Gryffindor chasers" Hermione was and probably never would be a fan of Quidditch, she blamed it on the games almost barbaric encouragement of the use of any means necessary to win even if it meant injuring someone on the opposite team but to hear Rachel speak so enthusiastically about something brought a smile to her face.

Though she hadn't been present at the actual try-out Luna, Ginny and obviously Harry had been there and had told her all about Rachel's impressive Quidditch skills. It made her smirk for Rachel had simply told her that she had got a position on the team rather than gloat of her talent, safe to say that arrogant was not something that Rachel was. She was concerned naturally as she didn't want to see Rachel get hurt but she would voice her concern at a later date, right now she didn't want to ruin the happy mood that had settled between them.

"Have you been taking your tablets?" asked Hermione. Rachel shook her head humorously.

"Merlin Hermione people would think you're my mother the way you worry about me" laughed Rachel to which Hermione frowned, she did wish that Rachel would take her health a bit more seriously. Upon noticing the brunettes frown Rachel simmered down to a small smile, the brunette was cute when she frowned.

"I'm sorry. Yes Hermione I've been taking them, I'm not particularly keen on making myself ill again" answered Rachel honestly. Hermione nodded before her frown receded. Slowly Hogsmeade village came into view and Rachel grew more nervous as they approached. She needed to do something pronto otherwise there'd be hell to pay when she next saw Luna. However, Rachel was still completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione to had something to tell her and was equally nervous.

"Umm Hermione..." the brunette glanced to the side and at Rachel who was starting to get sweaty hands. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something before we meet up with everyone else?" Hermione felt a small surge of relief flow through her, at least she'd be able to tell Rachel without having everyone else find out at the same time. She was slightly apprehensive of everyone's reaction but none more so than Rachel's.

"Yeah sure. I've got something to tell you as well" Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise, not what she expected but hey might as well go with it. Rachel inhaled deeply as they came to a halt in the middle of the path.

"Okay...you go first then" stated Rachel, at least this way she had more time to sort out the right words to express herself with. Hermione inhaled deeply to calm herself, she couldn't help feeling that maybe she had done the wrong thing earlier but she promised Rachel that she wouldn't keep secrets from her and Rachel had promised to be there for her if she needed her.

"Well you see...God this is hard to explain..." Rachel smiled encouragingly though her heart was beating furiously in her chest with nervousness.

"It's alright you can tell me anything" encouraged Rachel. Hermione released the breath she didn't know she had been holding. Best get it out the way now.

"Viktor Krum asked me out on a date...and I said yes"

All Rachel managed to process through the hurt and shock was 'Viktor...date...yes'. With that last word Rachel felt as if her heart had been crushed in her chest and a horrible stabbing pain had replaced it. Oh Merlin how could she have been so stupid? An unbearable sadness slowly bloomed, replacing the sudden shock she had just experienced.

"Right" whispered Rachel while Hermione watched her. What was she supposed to say to this? Oh Merlin what was the matter with her? Why did she ever think there was a chance Hermione would feel the same way when there are so many better people than her out there, Viktor Krum to name a few. Of course Hermione would say yes to the handsome Bulgarian who had everything going for him, she wasn't stupid.

"Rachel?" the young Rothern was knocked from her tragic realization that she never had a chance with Hermione by the brunette's question. Rachel slowly began to adopt a poker face in order to save her dignity, no need for Hermione to know how upset she was with this new knowledge, she would express herself later. On her own. Alone.

"Ummm...I can see why you would, he's handsome, athletic, well paid and involved with one of the biggest tournaments in the world" every single compliment that made Viktor Krum seem more appealing made Rachel die a little bit more. Why was she doing this? Maybe she just wanted to ensure Hermione's happiness or maybe she was just a glutton for punishment, the knife had already been plunged into her heart why not give it a little twist while it's there. Hermione nodded though she couldn't help the hollow feeling that grew in her chest as Rachel looked at her with a facade of indifference as she listed off Viktor's attributes.

"Well that's what I wanted to tell you. What did you want to tell me?" asked Hermione. Rachel looked away from Hermione as she struggled to mask the pained expression that threatened to break her carefully placed facade.

"It's nothing important...right now you need to go tell everyone the good news" Rachel turned her head back around and forced a smile to form on her face. She needed to get away from here, she needed to be alone right now.

"I...uh just remembered that I left something really important back at the castle, I'll just go get it" stated Rachel as she started walking back to Hogwarts.

"I'll come with you then" why couldn't she shake the feeling that Rachel had wanted to tell her something important? Rachel shook her head before smiling back at Hermione.

"Nah it's alright I won't be long. Go see everyone and tell them I'll be back in a bit" suggested Rachel. Hermione frowned in concern at Rachel's aloof behaviour. Maybe she should just give Rachel some space.

"Alright then...I'll see you later?" asked Hermione. Rachel nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I'll see you later" stated Rachel before she turned and walked back up the pathway. Hermione watched her go before turning and walking down to Hogsmeade village.

* * *

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You stupid twat Rachel! What the fuck were you thinking?" bellowed Rachel at herself as she sat on one of the benches in the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. She was alone since everyone was either in the castle, in Hogsmeade or in their respective transports from the foreign schools so she would cuss all she wanted without drawing attention to herself.

"Of course she wouldn't want you. You're not even sure if she likes girls like that and there you were ready to spill your heart out to her in the hopes she would feel the same? For fuck sake have you learnt nothing" She couldn't stop the sorrow that enveloped her, she had been so stupid and had clearly been reading too much into Hermione's actions...actually care about her in the more than friends way? Pathetic. Was she really so starved of affection that she would assume that Hermione had feelings for her when all she had been was concerned about her friend? Probably.

"Rachel?" called out a French accented voice. Rachel turned her head away from where she had rested it on her up-turned palms and searched for the owner of the voice.

"Gabrielle? What are you doing here?" asked Rachel curiously as she sat up and watched the young French student sit next to her.

"I was curious and zought I would explore where I am to stay for ze next school year" explained Gabrielle as she looked around the Quidditch pitch. Rachel nodded before turning her attention away from Gabrielle.

"What iz wrong Rachel?" asked Gabrielle, she didn't like seeing someone as kind as the young Rothern so sad, it truly was a heart-breaking listening to her degrade herself. Rachel smiled sadly.

"I really like this person, I've liked her for a long time and would've done anything to be with her. I was going to tell her how I felt about her but before I could she told me that she had already accepted to go on a date with someone who is perfect for her. And I can't stand it" explained Rachel sadly. Gabrielle's heart broke for Rachel as she leaned against the older teen and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her.

"Zings 'ave a way of working zemselves out Rachel" offered Gabrielle, she wanted to comfort the hurting teen. Rachel smiled sadly but didn't say anything to either condemn or condone Gabrielle's words. She knew the young girl only meant well.

"We'll see Gabrielle. Thank you" the pain and sorrow lingered within her but she could at least pretend that she wasn't bothered for everyone else's sake. No need to drag them down just because she was feeling low. Rachel was at least determined to remain Hermione's friend, no matter how much the idea of seeing her with Viktor hurt her she wouldn't lose Hermione's friendship.

* * *

Yes I am that evil. Next chapter will focus more on everyone else's reaction to Hermione's news and what exactly she was thinking when she said yes. Hope you like this slight twist.


	29. Chapter 29

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 29 – We're just friends and information on the First Task

The moment Luna noticed that Rachel wasn't with Hermione she assumed something was wrong otherwise why else would the youngest Rothern be missing. The thoughtful and almost dejected look on Hermione's face merely confirmed her assumption. Harry looked up from where he was sat next to Luna and smiled at the bushy brunette before he too noticed the look on her face.

"Hey 'Mione" greeted Harry as she approached the table he, Ginny and Luna were at and sat opposite them. Hermione looked around the table before frowning in confusion.

"Where is everyone?" asked Hermione.

"They're out and about I guess but we wanted to wait for you and Rachel. Where is Rachel by the way?" asked Harry as he glanced up at the door, expecting Rachel to walk through it at any moment. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"She said she had left something back at school and had to go get it" answered Hermione quietly while looking off to the side. Harry looked at Luna for help, something was clearly amiss and he had no idea on how to approach the topic. Luna ignored his look and kept her eyes on Hermione.

"Is everything alright Hermione?" asked Luna. Direct as ever Luna, thought Harry. The bushy brunette sighed as she debated with herself. Should she tell Harry and Luna about accepting to go on a date with Viktor Krum? Or should she let them figure it out eventually?

"Hermione?" the brunette looked up at Harry. No, she should tell them the truth, they were her friends after all and she could tell them anything.

"Viktor asked me out on a date and I said yes..." Luna's eyes widened by a fraction as she now understood why Rachel was missing and her heart broke for her friend, Ginny and Luna quickly exchanged concerned glances with each other. Harry, however, looked slightly confused by this sudden admission. He thought that Hermione would be happy but the look on her face was the complete opposite.

"That's brilliant Hermione but you don't seem that excited" said Harry. The brunette smiled thoughtfully.

"The thing is I was under pressure when I said yes. I was in the library catching up on homework when all of a sudden he sits at my table. We started chatting and then he asked me out. I just said yes because he seemed genuine and I didn't want to hurt his feelings. God I feel like such an idiot. Why did I say yes?" she groaned out the last bit before dropping her head into her hands. Harry reached forwards and patted her on the shoulder to try and comfort her.

"Hey don't worry so much Hermione. You never know you might get on really well with him." Ginny was actually tempted to throttle Harry once the words had left his mouth. She would be damned if the effort she and Luna had put in to try and get Rachel and Hermione together went to waste just because of some Bulgarian interference and there Harry was encouraging it. While Ginny thought of ways to make Harry suffer Luna was silently analyzing Hermione; there appeared to be no infatuation on her part for Viktor and she had simply said yes under pressure. Strange, she never considered Hermione to be one to cave into pressure and do something she wasn't entirely committed to.

But at the same time this was a good thing. Hermione didn't appear to be very enthusiastic about being in a relationship with Viktor so the chances of one actually forming were slim. Luna wanted to leave and find Rachel, she was worried about her reaction to this news since she had been the one to encourage Rachel to open up and tell Hermione how she felt. Luna's eyes widened slightly. Had Rachel told Hermione before she knew about Hermione accepting Viktor's offer or hadn't she.

"Does Rachel know?" asked Luna. She sincerely hoped that Hermione hadn't already rejected the gentle teen otherwise there would be no chance of convincing Rachel to try again. More than likely Rachel would just retreat into herself and pull up the emotional barriers once more to hide behind. Hermione nodded slowly.

"I told Rachel on the way down. It was strange actually, she told me she wanted to tell me something but I told her about the situation with Viktor before she told me what it was. She didn't seem to want to tell me afterwards" Luna mentally sighed in relief. At least there was still a chance for them.

"So when's your date?" asked Harry curiously. The brunette glanced at her watch.

"In a few hours" answered Hermione.

* * *

"Bonjour " greeted Fleur as she approached. The blonde had been searching for Gabrielle for some time before deciding to venture out onto the Quidditch pitch in hopes of finding her there. For some reason she couldn't fathom Gabrielle enjoyed the barbaric sport. The French Triwizard champion watched as Gabrielle released Rachel and turned to look at her older sister with Rachel tilting her head up at Fleur.

"Bonjour Fleur" greeted Gabrielle.

"Hello Fleur" added Rachel. Fleur smiled at Rachel before focusing her attention on her little sister.

"I 'ave been looking for you everywhere. I wish you wouldn't just vanish into zin air like zat" scolded Fleur. Gabrielle instantly looked ashamed and cast her eyes down to the floor, she knew that Fleur had a protective streak a mile long. The moment Gabrielle refused to meet her eyes Fleur quickly felt guilty and her expression softened. Releasing a sigh Fleur sat next to Gabrielle.

"I did not mean to make you worry" apologised Gabrielle. Fleur smiled to herself before wrapping her arms around Gabrielle in a brief hug.

"Do not worry I 'ave found you now" Fleur spoke softly into Gabrielle's hair before pulling away from the small French girl.

"Annette 'as been looking for you, she wants your opinion on something she didn't want to discuss with me" explained Fleur as she sat upright. A look of confusion flittered across Gabrielle's face before she shot up from her seat. She threw Rachel an apologetic smile before racing off, muttering under her breath in French. Rachel smiled humorously as she watched the girl race off before she turned her attention back to the Quidditch pitch.

Fleur watched curiously as a sad look fell upon the dark haired beauty next to her. In all honesty Annette wasn't looking for Gabrielle at all, Fleur just wanted to get some alone time with the brave teen. It wasn't often that someone would put themselves out for a complete stranger and yet this one had for her little sister, even going so far as to get the living daylights kicked out of her just so someone else didn't suffer. It was admirable to say the least.

"Why do you look so sad?" asked Fleur. A sad smile formed on the raven haired teens face as her eyes grew thoughtful. If Fleur didn't know any better she would say that the teen looked heart sick, unrequited love perhaps? Perhaps it had something to do with the brunette she always saw Rachel with? A bitter chuckle knocked Fleur from her musings. When no answer came forth Fleur decided to voice her speculations.

"Does it perhaps 'ave somezing to do wiz ze bushy brunette I often see you wiz?" the question it appeared seemed to strike at something within the ebony haired teen for a frown formed on her flawless face.

"You like her don't you?" asked Fleur. The bitter smile returned to her face once again.

"No...We're just friends" answered Rachel quietly. Just friends. Her heart tugged in her chest at that admission because she didn't want to be just Hermione's friend. Fleur could tell she was lying but she acknowledged the fact it wasn't her place to question the dark haired beauty.

The Veela inside her was strangely quiet at the moment; usually it was raging within her whenever Rachel was near. Fleur didn't understand it at all, the animalistic side of her anyway since she had not interest in it. She was human and didn't give in to her animalistic desires. And yet, Fleur couldn't help but stare at Rachel, the girl was gorgeous for Merlin's sake. She had beautiful, thoughtful blue eyes, lovely pale skin, the darkest ebony hair Fleur had ever seen and a charming personality. Gabrielle seemed to be quite fond of her as well which was always a good thing, the youngster had a talent for spotting a good person when she saw one.

Fleur didn't need to be telepathic to know that the young woman was hurting inside but the fact that she was didn't sit well with her at all and it confused the hell out of her. Why did she care for an almost complete stranger this way? It was very unlike her to say the least. While the French champion was lost in her thoughts she failed to notice that Rachel was glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.

"So...do you like Quidditch?" asked Rachel. Fleur instantly looked at Rachel as if she had lost her mind, such a random question to ask. The ebony haired teen merely shrugged her shoulders at her look.

"Just trying to lighten the mood" stated Rachel. Fleur shook her head; this one was definitely a strange one. And she liked it. It was such a relief to talk to someone who wasn't arrogant or pompous.

"Non I do not like zat sport. I find it to be barbaric and a waste of money" Rachel nodded in acceptance; Quidditch wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

"Fair enough. What does Fleur Delacour like then?" asked Rachel with a small smile on her face. Fleur's eyebrows rose in surprise at the question; it was very rare that anyone outside of her family took an interest in what she liked, usually people took one look at her and considered her to be vain and a bit of a bimbo who couldn't possibly be interested in anything important. She was beginning to like this one more than she originally thought possible.

"You really want to know?" asked Fleur with a slightly teasing tone. Rachel nodded slowly.

"I do" she answered.

* * *

"Dragons?" asked Rachel in shock as she sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. She sat on the sofa inbetween Harry and Luna, who had been allowed in by the Fat Lady only because the Fat Lady had a soft spot for the considerate blonde. Harry nodded with a look of despair on his face.

"Yeah. Hagrid took me to see them earlier this evening. God Rachel you should've see them, especially this one dragon, the Hungarian Horntail, looked like a right nasty piece of work even Hagrid was put off by it" moaned Harry as he placed his head in his hands. Hermione was currently out on her date with Viktor so there was no logical encouragement for the poor boy.

Luna slowly patted him on the back to try and comfort him. Harry turned his face towards her and smiled at the thoughtfulness. All the while Rachel was watching the two interact; could something be going on between them? She certainly hoped so because then she could get her own back on Luna with all the teasing she had been getting over Hermione. Well that was before...No Rachel stop it. The young Rothern shook her head slightly to dispel the negative thoughts. Hermione didn't want her so there was no point in hoping that she would so get over it.

"So what are you going to do? The First task is only a week away" asked Rachel. Harry scoffed.

"I have no idea Rachel. Probably get eaten" Luna had to stifle her laughter at that one though it was an amusing thought. Rachel shook her head in amusement at the blonde while Harry glared at the two.

"Come on guys seriously I could become some dragons lunch" he moaned.

"More like a snack. Not enough of you to be considered a meal" laughed Rachel. Harry's glare intensified for a few moments before they all broke out into sniggering. The idea was just too amusing to be taken seriously.

"That's it. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I'll see you later Rachel, goodnight Luna" the raven haired boy got up from his seat and started heading towards the boys dormitory, an amused smirk on his face as he could still hear the girls sniggering behind his back. Once they had calmed down Luna turned her full attention to Rachel's dilemma.

"I take it you know about Hermione and..." Rachel held her hand up to hopefully quiet Luna while a mask of indifference formed on her face.

"I know about it and I'm happy for her. He's a good man and he'll look after her. Hopefully" stated Rachel thoughtfully. Luna shook her head and frowned at Rachel.

"Rachel don't lie to me I know you too well" Rachel sighed in despair.

"What can I do Luna except carry on and just continue to be her friend? I don't want to lose her" the defeated tone in her voice didn't sit well with Luna in the slightest. Rachel was a fighter and to hear her like this pulled at her heart strings.

"Try harder Rachel. Show her that you can be everything that she could want in someone" You already are, Hermione just needs to realize it thought Luna. Rachel turned her head towards Luna.

"We'll see Luna but right now she's out on a date so anything is possible." Luna nodded before standing up and stretching.

"I should head back to my own housemate, they'll be wondering where I am" stated Luna. Rachel nodded and watched as Luna headed for the exit, but before she disappeared she turned to look back at Rachel.

"Don't give up on her yet Rachel" she whispered before disappearing and leaving Rachel to ponder on her words of wisdom.


	30. Chapter 30

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 30 – Dates, Quidditch and Racing Hearts

"So how did your date with Viktor go last night?" asked Harry as Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. The Great Hall was relatively empty due to how early it was so Hermione didn't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on their conversation. The brunette glanced at the Dumstrang table and a light blush formed on her face when she caught Viktor staring back at her, he smiled before one of his friends attracted his attention away from her.

"It went well then" stated Harry as he watched Hermione's blush deepen with a smirk on his face.

"Viktor's sweet in his own way" Hermione conceded to which Harry nodded in understanding.

"But...I don't know it's just a new experience and I guess I still haven't really got over the shock yet" explained Hermione. She was confused, Viktor was a really nice guy, was sweet and wasn't hard on the eyes but last night she just couldn't get a certain Rothern out of her head. Surely if Rachel liked her that way she would've done something by now? Shaking her head slightly she felt disgusted with herself. Here she was, dating someone and all she could do was wish he was someone else. What was wrong with her? Viktor deserved a chance even though she was uncertain.

"Hey guys" greeted a familiar voice. Hermione looked up and watched as Rachel sat opposite them on the table.

"Hey Rachel. Hermione was just telling me how her date with Viktor went last night" explained Harry with a smirk on his face. Ignoring the sadness that pulled on her heart she grinned and looked at Hermione.

"Oh? How'd it go?" asked Rachel while internally she was scolding herself for asking. What was she hoping for Hermione to say that wouldn't hurt her?

"It went well...he's nice" answered Hermione. She didn't like all this attention and decided to change to topic quickly before they asked more questions.

"So who are you playing today?" asked Hermione as she noticed that both Harry and Rachel were dressed in their Gryffindor Quidditch uniforms.

"Slytherin" answered Rachel and Harry simultaneously. Hermione frowned at the knowledge, she sincerely hoped that Rachel and Harry didn't get hurt during this match, there was enough of a rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor but these two were targeted daily by them.

"Bonjour Rachel" the dark haired Rothern smiled as she looked to the side and saw both Fleur and Gabrielle standing there.

"Bonjour" greeted Rachel happily, Gabrielle leaned over and hugged the teen while Fleur sat on the vacant seat next to Rachel so the teen was inbetween the French champion and her sister. Fleur turned her pale blue eyes towards Harry and nodded at him respectfully which he returned.

"Bonjour 'Arry" she greeted.

"Hey Fleur" Harry responded with a smile. He had nothing against Fleur even though they were competing against one another, he personally wanted nothing to do with the tournament and couldn't care less if he won or not. He just wanted to stay alive.

"Bonjour 'Ermione" the brunette smiled at Fleur in greeting though she wasn't overly keen on the French woman, she didn't know her that well for starters and wasn't entirely sure that she wasn't trying to sabotage Harry in any way. Gabrielle grinned as she poked Rachel's shoulder.

"Who will you be playing today?" asked Gabrielle, looking from Rachel to Harry.

"Slytherin. Them over there" answered Rachel as she glanced up at the Slytherin Quidditch team as they entered the room. Rachel didn't like this one bit. She quickly noticed that her eldest brother was wearing the Slytherin Team Captain armband so she had him to deal with today the sneaky bastard but also that Peter Sarasin and Leon Cravatt were part of the team. She glared as the whole team approached the Gryffindor table with arrogant smirks on their faces.

"Well Rachel looks like you reached a new low. Not only do you surround yourself with Mudbloods..." Rachel stood up and glared angrily at her older brother whose smirk merely widened at the display of aggression.

"...but you also make friends with foreign animals" Marcus openly glared in disgust at Fleur who merely glared back.

"Fuck off Marcus" growled Rachel angrily. She was enraged, how dare he waltz over as if he owned the damn school and insult her friends. Leon and Peter decided to step forward then with sickly smirks on their faces.

"Now Rachel you wouldn't want a repeat of the other day now would you?" goaded Leon while Marcus merely smirked, his fellow Slytherin had told him all about the beating they had given Rachel and he had applauded their efforts.

"You just fucking try it you bastard" Hermione and Harry had no idea what Leon was threatening Rachel with and their confused expression made their ignorance obvious. The three boys grinned evilly at her.

"Guess we'll see you out on the pitch Rachel" sneered Marcus before he turned and walked towards the Slytherin table, closely followed by his teammates. Rachel scoffed to herself as she sat back down, silently fuming. Fleur on the other hand was very concerned, not just for Rachel's safety in the upcoming game but also about how much the Slytherin Captain knew about her and her heritage.

"Rachel please don't play today" pleaded Hermione; she didn't want Rachel to end up injured or worse. Harry and Gabrielle watched quietly as the anger quickly faded from Rachel's face only to be replaced by determination.

"Oui Rachel I 'ave to agree with 'Ermione. Zey are out the 'urt you and if you play zen you are giving zem all the opportunity zey need" the raven haired Rothern looked at Hermione and noticed her worried expression, then she turned to Fleur who had the exact same expression on her face. She didn't want them to worry, truly she didn't, but if she wasn't on the team then that would make her seem weak to her brother and his friends and merely make her more of a target to them.

"No I'm still playing today. I will not be intimidated by those bastards and made to look weak" stated Rachel much to Hermione and Fleur's despair. She knew they wouldn't understand her reasoning; they weren't the ones who had to live with Marcus at home. Hermione released a frustrated noise from the back of her throat before throwing a heated glare at Rachel.

"Oh really so for the sake of not being 'weak' you might get yourself killed. Have you no sense at all?" asked Hermione. She was scared and because she was scared she was getting frustrated because there was nothing she could do to protect Rachel once she went out onto the pitch. Rachel turned her full attention to Hermione and opened her mouth to say something but Hermione cut her off.

"You know what fine go get yourself injured or even killed. I don't care" stated Hermione as she got up from her seat before storming off down the aisle and through the door. The sound of laughter erupted from the Slytherin table as Rachel watched Hermione storm off but she didn't care about them, she just wished that Hermione would understand.

"Rachel iz zere nothing we can say zat will change your mind?" asked Fleur hopefully. She like Hermione didn't want to see Rachel carted off to the infirmary and was worried that that would happen if she played, however, she unlike Hermione respected that Rachel wanted to maintain some pride in front of her sibling. Rachel had informed Fleur during their chat the day before about her relationship with her brothers so Fleur had a very good idea about the hostility Rachel faced with them when she went home during the holidays. Rachel shook her head before looking at Fleur.

"No. I'm not doing this out of vengeance for what happened between me, Gabrielle and them nor am I doing it out of some arrogant stupidity that I can take them all on and win. I'm going to play the sport I love regardless of who's on the other team" declared Rachel before getting up from her seat and looking at Harry.

"Come on Harry. We've got a game to win" stated Rachel before she too began her departure from the Great Hall.

* * *

Rachel smirked triumphantly as she stood in the girls changing rooms in just her joggers and bra, leaning heavily on one of the sinks. Her team had won thanks to Harry catching the snitch and the look of shock and anger on her brother's face was absolutely priceless. All throughout the game Marcus, Peter and Leon had tried underhanded tactics to try and hurt her and apart from the bruising on her shoulder from where Peter, one of the Slytherin beaters, had smashed his bat into her that had all failed miserably.

Rachel wiped a few strands of wet hair out from her eyes as she smirked at her reflection in the mirror. She was proud of herself for she had not only outsmarted her brother's attempts to put her in one of Madame Pomphrey's infirmary beds but also that she contributed heavily towards the victory that Gryffindor would've had even if Harry hadn't caught the snitch. The score was 60 points to Gryffindor and 15 points to Slytherin. She enjoyed making an ass out of her brother that was for sure.

"Rachel?" turning her attention away from the mirror she glanced at the somewhat nervous Hermione Granger. A blush quickly formed on her face as she reminded herself of her almost semi-naked state and she turned away from Hermione to fetch her t-shirt. The moment she turned, Hermione caught a full view of the scar that she had felt months ago back during the summer. The scar was a pale, jagged line that started just a few inches across from the top of her shoulder blade before curving to an end just underneath her shoulder blade.

She also noticed the dark bruising along the back of her shoulder from where she saw one of the Slytherin beaters hit her. Hence the reason she had brought a healing paste with her.

"Hey Hermione, you okay?" asked Rachel as she searched for her top. The bushy brunette smiled softly before walking towards her.

"I'm fine though I'm slightly worried because your shoulder seems to be swelling" stated Hermione lightly. Rachel chuckled to herself.

"Yeah it feels a bit stiff. I think I'll go to Madame Pomphrey to see if she has something for it" answered Rachel before wincing slightly at the pain in her shoulder. Hermione sat on one of the benches and placed the bottle of paste down next to her.

"I already got something from her for you" Rachel's eyebrows rose in surprise as she turned back to look at HermiHermione with her top in her hands. The surprise must've been evident on her face because Hermione chuckled at her.

"Come here and I'll put it on for you" offered Hermione. A blush formed on both teens faces at the suggestion even though both of them knew that Rachel couldn't reach the whole area to put the paste on so someone needed to do it for her. Trying to calm her raging heart Rachel approached the bench before sitting down while Hermione opened the bottle. Turning her back to Hermione she focused on playing with the top in her hands. The moment Hermione's hands, smothered in the paste, touched her shoulder she hissed at the slightly burning sensation the paste caused.

"Sorry. Madame Pomphrey said that it would burn at first" apologized Hermione as she continued to massage the paste across Rachel's bruised shoulder and neck. After a few seconds the burning sensation ebbed away and only a cool relief entered Rachel's body. Hermione smiled at the sound of Rachel's content sigh.

Silence filled the changing room as Hermione continued to massage the paste into Rachel's skin; the young Rothern glanced up at the mirror and watched Hermione's reflection, noting Hermione's blush but also her smile. Rachel, however, was having a hard time controlling her own blush as her thoughts drifted to how nice Hermione's hands felt on her skin. Hermione's hand stilled for a moment over the pulsing heart beat that thumped underneath Rachel's skin.

"I can feel your heart" whispered Hermione with a smile. Rachel grinned shyly.

"It's beating really quick" Hermione's voice was soft and endearing to Rachel's ears. Rachel turned her head to the side so she could look at Hermione over her shoulder. Hermione glanced up to meet her eyes before focusing on covering the rest of the bruising. Once the task was done Hermione didn't immediately pull her hand away. A familiar sorrow filled her heart as she traced Rachel's scar, her index finger brushing against the smooth, pale line. Rachel jumped underneath her touch out of surprise.

"Sorry" murmured Hermione as she withdrew her hand. Rachel was fairly disappointed to lose the contact but she had to be realistic, Hermione had Krum now.

"It's alright" answered Rachel as she stood up from the bench and pulled her top over her head, thankful for that miracle paste since her shoulder no longer ached while Hermione got up and walked over to the nearest sink to wash her hands of the paste. Rachel couldn't help but stare at Hermione as she washed her hands, completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione was watching her reflection in the mirror with a longing in her brown eyes.

"I'm sorry Hermione...about earlier I didn't mean to make you worry or angry for that matter" apologized Rachel as she approached Hermione. The brunette nodded slowly before drying off her hands.

"I'm sorry to...I shouldn't have got angry" conceded Hermione. Rachel smiled briefly as she felt slightly awkward, a far cry from how she had been feeling mere moments ago with Hermione's hands on her skin.

"So...we've got the rest of the day free. Want to do something?" asked Rachel hopefully. Hermione wanted to, more than anything she wanted to spend time with Rachel but Viktor had cornered her at the Quidditch game and asked if she could help him with something research related.

"I'm sorry but I can't Viktor..." she didn't finish her answer as she could already see in the mirror Rachel's disappointed look, though it was only brief it still pained her slightly that she was the cause of it. The look quickly vanished and was replaced with an easy going grin.

"No problem" stated Rachel quickly. Hermione nodded though she too was disappointed by the missed opportunity to spend time with Rachel. The ebony haired teen sighed before a cough alerted the two girls of another's presence.

"There you both are. We were wondering where you were since we're all gonna go out and celebrate the victory over Slytherin" explained Ginny as she entered the changing room. Rachel nodded, more than happy with the distraction it would provide from her wandering thoughts though Hermione shook her head.

"Sorry I can't I've got other plans" Ginny looked disappointed with Hermione's answer though she didn't question it.

"Alright then well we're gonna all meet in front of the Fat Lady before heading out to Hogsmeade" stated Ginny.

"Okay Gin I'll see you there in a bit" said Rachel, the red head nodded before hightailing it out of the changing rooms with the feeling that she had interrupted something fairly important between the two witches. Rachel turned her attention back to Hermione who was fidgeting slightly.

"I should get going too" Hermione stated as she looked at her wrist watch. Rachel nodded before offering Hermione an encouraging smile.

"Cool well have fun with Viktor and I'll see ya later then" Hermione rolled her eyes at Rachel's cheeky grin and wink.

"I'm sure you will" and with that the bushy brunette departed the girls changing room, leaving behind Rachel with a sad, thoughtful look on her face.

* * *

Sweet well hope you like this chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

Thank you everyone for sending in reviews. I truly do appreciate them. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 31 – The First Task, the Yule Ball and Dancing.

"You're wand Harry! You're wand!" screamed Hermione as she leaned over the wooden barrier. The poor boy looked up at her from where he hid behind a boulder with a bewildered look. The First Task was under way and Harry, the poor bastard, had the moody Hungarian Horntail as an obstacle. The dragon unleashed a raging inferno at the boulder that obscured Harry from its view, when the boulder refused to budge the dragon roared angrily in displeasure.

"Accio Firebolt" shouted Harry as he pointed his wand up into the sky; he hesitated before launching himself into a sprint towards the next boulder. The dragon roared in surprise. Harry dived behind one of the boulders just in time to avoid being burnt to a crisp by another jet of fire from the dragon. He peeked around the boulder and smirked to himself as he watched his broomstick come into view. The dragon's tail came crashing down towards him so he quickly moved as far to the other end on the boulder as he could. He had to judge this perfectly otherwise he was a dead man.

The crowd roared ecstatically as they watched Harry leap onto his broomstick and shoot away, mere inches away from the stream of fire. Rachel watched Harry impressively dodge the dragon's tail and go for the golden egg; he barely had the egg in his hands before he was forced to pull up by the wave of fire raging towards him. He dodged and swerved the dragon's fire before being chased out of the dome. The crowd grew silent and his friends grew worried.

"Where is he? Where is he?" chanted Hermione in a worried panic, her eyes darting about the sky hoping to spot him. Rachel hated it. She hated watching Hermione worry but she hated it even more when there was nothing that could be done about it until a certain lightning-bolt scarred teen decided to make an appearance. Time went on and the crowd began to grow restless with uncertainty. Rachel turned her gaze over towards the opposite side of the stands and grinned to herself when she spotted something flying towards them.

"Look" whispered Rachel into Hermione's ear. The brunette looked up and a huge smile plastered itself across her face. The crowd erupted into a roar as everyone turned to watch Harry come riding into the arena on his smouldering broomstick. The teen grinned as he reached for the egg as he swooped down towards it. Upon grabbing a hold of it he held it in one hand before circling the cheering crowd who had erupted into applause. The youngest champion had completed the First Task with a mere few scratches from the dreaded dragon.

* * *

Rachel was still rubbing her sore ear in the hope of stopping the horrible ringing that Harry's blasted egg had caused as the Fat Lady's portrait closed behind her. Everyone was cheering him on to open the blasted thing and when he had the most awful screeching had escaped from it and nearly deafened everyone in the bloody room. And Rachel being the unlucky creature that she was happened to be standing right next to Harry when he opened it. Oh well. At least Harry and Ron had made up and were now best of friends once again. Rachel grinned as she recalled Ron's crap explanation of how he had warned Harry about the dragon, Merlin that boy was hopeless.

"Rachel come on" before Rachel could even blink or ask where they were going Ginny had already captured her right hand and was dragging her down the flight of stairs.

"Ginny where are we going?" the red head didn't answer her until they entered one of the larger classrooms. Various students were filtering into the classroom and sitting on benches that had been placed on either side on the room. Rachel had little time to observe the room before forcibly being dragged over to Luna, Neville and Hermione. The blonde looked up and observed Ginny, who had an excited grin on her face drag Rachel who wore the most confused expression Luna had ever seen over to them.

"Hello Ginny" greeted Luna before she looked over her shoulder. "Hello Rachel" the ebony haired Rothern smiled at Luna before moving across her and sitting in the space between her and Hermione. The bushy brunette glanced up at Rachel and frowned slightly.

"You okay? You look confused" stated Hermione. Rachel nodded.

"Well yeah I am actually; there I was minding my own business when the next thing I know a certain pesky ginger..." Ginny quickly stuck her tongue out at Rachel for the comment "...drags me down here without telling me why" Hermione smirked to herself as she shook her head in disbelief. Those Weasley's were certainly a peculiar bunch.

"McGonagall's called for the students to come meet her here so she could explain an upcoming event. Something to do with the Triwizard tournament" explained Ginny. The students waited impatiently for the elderly professor to arrive, the room buzzing with excited chatter. And throughout all of the excited tension Hermione sat in the room with a book in her hand, though only Rachel noticed that her eyes were staring at the page she had been on since Rachel came into the room rather that reading it's content. She was curious as to what was on the beautiful brunette's mind but thought better than to ask her. Rachel turned her head and watched curiously as the Head of Gryffindor walked into the room. She came to a halt in the centre before gazing at her students.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard tournament since its inception. On Christmas Eve we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a formal celebration of the event. As representatives of the school hosting the tournament I expect you to put your best foot forward, and I do mean that literally for the Yule Ball is in fact a dance"

The boys all simultaneously groaned in despair at the mentioning of the word 'dance'. Now the pressure to have a date just had just multiplied tenfold. The majority of the girls looked genuinely excited about the prospect of formal dancing and a grand ball what with some of them bursting into excited chatter.

"Silence" requested McGonagall and the room grew quiet.

"The traditional dance for the Yule Ball is the waltz. Mr Weasley..." Ron looked up in horror as his Head of House turned her gaze on him and began to approach him, obviously having heard his rude comment about a female student.

"...will you join me please" it was more of a command than a request and fully aware that everyone's amused eyes were on him the youngest Weasley boy stood up from his seat and followed McGonagall to the centre of the room. Soft music filled the room although it did little to drown out the sniggering of his peers at the sight of him about to dance with their professor.

* * *

A few weeks later Hermione found herself sighing in frustration as she tried to remember the steps for the waltz. Viktor had naturally asked her to accompany him to the Yule Ball and, after finding no possible way of getting out of it, she had accepted his offer. That had only been the beginning of her frustration and stress. Ron being the arse that he was had assumed that she would struggle to find a date for the ball and as a last resort had asked her which infuriated Hermione to no end, was that all he really saw her as? A last resort in times of crisis but otherwise unworthy of his attention? Just thinking about it enraged her.

It wasn't just Ron being an arse that was frustrating. She couldn't stop thinking about how close she had been to Rachel those few weeks ago in the girls changing room and it was driving her insane. She cared for Rachel and yet she was with Krum. Why? Because she couldn't bring herself to say no when she could see that Viktor genuinely cared for her and wanted to make her happy. Who was she to trample on someone's affections and reject them? But in hindsight it was probably the worst thing she had done in a long time because by accepting, although out of pity rather than mutual infatuation, to go out with Viktor she had effectively ruined her chances of being with Rachel. And dancing had never come natural to her anyway!

"You okay Hermione?" asked a familiar voice. Hermione had taken to practicing at night in one of the empty classrooms to avoid the judgment of her peers for the majority of Hogwarts she found thought along the same lines as Ron, that she wouldn't be able to find a date for the ball and would probably go alone because she was just a sad little bookworm.

"I'm fine" stated Hermione sharply. Rachel raised her eyebrow and gave her a disbelieving look, the brunette sighed in defeat.

"I just...dancing doesn't come naturally to me and I hate it when I can't do something" at least she wasn't completely lying to Rachel; she was finding it hard to learn the waltz. Rachel shook her head in amusement. Typical that Hermione would get all frustrated out of not understanding something.

"It's difficult to practice a two person dance on your own" stated Rachel. Hermione released a sharp breath.

"I know but I don't know anyone who can teach me and not ridicule me at the same time" confessed Hermione. Rachel frowned and approached the stressed out teen. The Yule Ball wasn't for another week so there was still time to teach Hermione what she needed to know.

"Stand in front of me" requested Rachel as she stopped in front of Hermione. The brunette narrowed her eyes suspiciously but did as she was asked and stood an arm's length away from the raven haired teen.

"Now we assume position" Now wasn't the time to be bashful so Rachel stepped forward put her arm around Hermione's waist and flattened her palm against her lower back. She bent her opposite elbow and opened up her palm, fully acknowledging Hermione's blush but she didn't know how else to teach Hermione to dance except by actually doing it for you couldn't learn to dance in any other way.

"Now take my hand" Hermione did as she was instructed and placed her hand in Rachel's before the pale teen wrapped her fingers around her hand. Both hearts thumped erratically against their respective ribcages at the close proximity of their bodies.

"Now you're going to have to mirror my movements" when she recieved a confused look from Hermione she elaborated.

"If I take a step forward, you take a step backward with that same foot" Hermione nodded in understanding, despite how nervous and jittery she felt there was an undercurrent of content beneath. For a reason she was more than familiar with being this close to Rachel made her both thrilled but anxious of doing something wrong that would make Rachel think less of her.

"Relax" whispered Rachel soothingly into her ear, making her jump before she pulled back with a smile on her face.

"No one expects you to know everything Hermione. If you already knew everything then you wouldn't be at Hogwarts" despite Rachel's reasoning Hermione still hated not knowing something.

"Ready?" asked Rachel. Hermione inhaled deeply before exhaling, she peered into Rachel's calm blue eyes before nodding with a nervous smile. Rachel stepped her right foot forwards and Hermione pulled hers back. Rachel smiled encouragingly as she took Hermione through the basic steps of a slow waltz. Hermione was surprised and how good of a teacher Rachel was, she was patient with her and never grew frustrated despite the amount of times Hermione stepped on her feet.

"When did you learn to dance Rachel?" asked Hermione as she counted the steps in her head. The young Rothern smiled as they continued to dance.

"My family has a high social status and as such we were all invited to formal events. Father made it imperative that we learn to dance properly just in case we were ever called upon to. He doesn't like to be embarrassed by a lack of knowledge" explained Rachel who winced when Hermione once again misjudged her steps and stepped on her foot.

"Sorry" apologised Hermione, blushing madly with embarrassment. Rachel smiled softly.

"Don't be. I'm impressed, you're catching on really quickly, especially for someone new to this kind of dancing" complimented Rachel which only made Hermione's blush deepen, much to Rachel's amusement. She thought the brunette looked even more lovable when she had a pinkish hue to her cheeks. They continued to dance in silence before Hermione asked another question.

"Is there someone you want to go to the ball with?" Rachel face grew thoughtful as she mulled over Hermione's question. There was indeed someone she wanted to take but that particular person was already being taken by a certain Bulgarian seeker.

"There is though that person isn't interested in me and is going with someone else" the brunette's heart twisted at the slight undertone of sorrow in Rachel's voice and she couldn't help but wonder who had caught the gorgeous teens eye and feel slightly jealous of the wishful look on Rachel's face.

"Well that person's a prat" Rachel smiled in amusement at Hermione's statement before shaking her head.

"No...The person's everything anyone could ever hope to find in someone. Intelligent, loyal, incredibly good looking, brave, strong but most importantly genuine" Rachel couldn't help herself, everything she said was exactly what she thought of Hermione and it killed her knowing that Hermione had no idea that the person she was describing was the one currently dancing with her. Hermione felt pangs of jealously as Rachel spoke fondly of the person she was obviously interested in though she didn't mention it. She wasn't stupid or selfish, Rachel wasn't hers and she was free to want whoever she wanted.

Hermione stopped dancing and stood still in Rachel's arms as she grew thoughtful. Just who could Rachel be talking about? The raven haired Rothern watched Hermione curiously as she grew thoughtful and found herself wondering what was going through the brunette's head. After a few minutes of silence Rachel glanced at her wrist watch.

"We should be getting back to bed before Filch catches us." Hermione heard her but she was reluctant to leave her, she didn't know when she would get another chance to be this close to the dark haired beauty so she didn't want it to come to an end.

"If you like I can continue to teach you to dance until the ball?" suggested Rachel, silently hoping that Hermione would agree to her proposal. Hermione smiled happily at the suggestion before she pulled herself into Rachel's body, she snaked her arms around her waist and settled her head against her chest. The idea excited her and she had acted on impulse. Upon realizing what she had just done she pulled back slightly with a deep blush on her cheeks, she was blushing so much it was beyond embarrassing.

"Sorry I'm just..." the brunette tilted her head up and her eyes widened at the close proximity of her face and Rachel's. Their eyes connected and their lips were mere inches apart. The temptation was there, Merlin knew it was there to simply lean forward and kiss the other. She could do it so easily and more than anything she wanted to simply kiss the brunette but as she realised that she was slowly leaning closer she stopped. This wasn't right nor was it fair. Hermione had Viktor and no matter how much she wanted Hermione she wasn't going to ruin Hermione's chances to be happy.

So she closed her eyes and pulled away from temptation. Much to her and Hermione's disappointment.

* * *

Sweet well I hope you liked this chapter. Stay tuned for more and please review for every review is acknowledged and appreciated.


	32. Chapter 32

Don't worry this is a new chapter; I've just deleted the message I sent before Chapter 25. Anyways I think you're all gonna like me for this chapter. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 32 – Honesty 

Rachel had told herself the moment she offered to teach Hermione to dance she was only hurting herself. But at the time she just couldn't allow the opportunity to be even semi-intimate with Hermione to escape her. The dance sessions where she could freely hold the brunette close to her and have the beautiful teen's complete attention had been nothing short of perfect and heart warming. But now was the day of the Yule Ball and she was having her last dance practice with Hermione to calm the brunette's nerves. Soft music played in the background as she led Hermione across the floor gracefully. Hermione had certainly surprised her during their practices, it seems that Hermione had natural rhythm which helped her to pick up the steps and all she had been lacking was the right direction. By the third practice Hermione had grown confidant enough in her dancing to not look at her feet the entire time but instead up at Rachel's face, to hold a conversation while dancing and thankfully not step on her dance partners feet.

Usually their dance sessions were full of chatter and laughter, mainly Hermione chattering and Rachel laughing at Hermione's observations. Though she had to agree with Hermione it did seem that Harry and Luna were getting very friendly as of late. Just the other day Rachel had caught the two chatting quite happily with each other, alone, near the lake. But unlike certain others, Ginny for example, she decided against ruining their little moment and simply let them be. However, just for kicks she did tell Ginny who immediately got that mischievous look in her eyes before running off in their direction.

But now both girls were silent, lost in their own thoughts and melancholy as they went through the motions of a perfect waltz. So lost in their thoughts they failed to notice that the music had stopped and yet they were still dancing. Hermione slowly looked up at Rachel's unfocused eyes that were staring past her shoulder. She wondered what was on the charming Rothern's mind and unconsciously feeling as if she was being stared at Rachel turned her eyes towards Hermione's. Slowly they stopped moving and simply stood in the centre of the room. Hermione smiled softly up at Rachel.

"Thank you...for everything" she whispered in gratitude. She didn't know what she would've done if Rachel hadn't offered to teach her. Rachel smiled though in her heart it made her sad that their time together was coming to an end. She had been selfish and foolish from the start to think that over time she could perhaps coerce Hermione into liking her as more than a friend but she had hoped. Rachel nodded slowly in acknowledgment of Hermione's gratitude though she said nothing. Hermione recognised the sadness in Rachel's soft blue eyes with ease, there was nothing the good looking Rothern could keep from her and to see her sad tugged at her heart strings. Perhaps it had something to do with Rachel's mystery person, the one she spoke so fondly of.

"Are you alright? You seem...sad" Rachel smiled softly at the concern in Hermione's voice. It was sweet of her to worry so much over her and Rachel never found it annoying, unlike Ron who was always complaining of the brunette's over-protectiveness, though he called it bossy.

"I'm fine...I'm just going to miss this that's all" Rachel didn't care anymore; she had never liked lying to the brunette anyway. Hermione nodded, she was going to miss having Rachel all to herself more than she cared to admit. The brunette was surprised when Rachel broke out of hold and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl in a sincere hug. A hug that Hermione immediately returned, though the two girls would've been more than happy to just remain there in each other's arms there were things that needed to be done and not a lot of time to complete them in. So Rachel reluctantly released Hermione and stepped back.

"Viktor's a lucky guy" stated Rachel. Oh how lucky he was. Hermione nodded half-heartedly at the compliment and was eager to change the topic.

"What about you Rachel? Have you told the person yet how you feel?" Hermione had questioned Rachel on her secret crush all week though the young Rothern had kept her crush's identity a secret close to her heart much to Hermione's annoyance. Though Rachel had been kind enough to answer any of her other questions on the topic. Hermione had learnt that the person was in the school, in Gryffindor House and to her despair had had Rachel's attention since last year. Hermione couldn't help but feel jealous of the person even more when Rachel described what she liked about them. There was no way it was just a simple crush, it sounded much more serious than that. Rachel shook her head sadly.

"No I still haven't told them...the person I care for already has someone who they are much better suited to and I don't want to ruin it" Yeah much better suited to considering the fact that Viktor is indeed a guy. Hermione frowned in disapproval. Whoever it was certainly didn't know what they were at risk of not having otherwise they would be with Rachel.

"I think you should tell whoever it is how you feel. Honesty is always the best policy" Rachel grew silent at Hermione's advice. Would honesty be the best policy? Or should she just keep her mouth shut? Merlin what a dilemma she would much rather be facing Lupin again or risk being eaten by a vampire than deal with this. At least with the other two scenarios she knew exactly what to do but when it came to matters of the heart she was at a complete loss.

"You really think that?" she had to be certain if she was going to do this. Hermione gave her a thoughtful look and after a few minutes she smiled softly at her.

"I really do think that honesty is the best policy" Rachel nodded slowly before swallowing the forming lump in her throat. Come on Gryffindor courage don't fail now that you're so close. The certainty in Hermione's eyes boosted her courage. Breathing deeply Rachel smiled nervously.

"So you think that honesty is always best or just for my situation?" she asked as she stepped forward. Hermione nodded with an amused smile on her face before nodding.

"Okay then...I'll tell you who it is because I trust you and I want to be honest with you" declared Rachel as she took another step closer to Hermione who looked up at her in surprise. Hermione hadn't been expecting that but now she couldn't wait to learn who it was so she could put aside her curiousity. Rachel leaned down ever so slightly so she could be level with Hermione face. She was nervous, anxious, courageous, and fearful and a mixture of other things but for once Rachel decided to just act on impulse.

Slowly, cautiously she pressed her lips against Hermione's. The kiss was soft and hesitant and filled the brunette with shock. So shocked was she that it didn't even register in her intelligent brain that Rachel was kissing her even after the raven haired teen pulled away by a mere inch and searched her face for a sign.

Anxious blue eyes searched her face for anything, any sign of emotional response to what she had just done. She watched Hermione blink once, then twice before the shock started to ebb from her beautiful features.

"It's you Hermione" whispered Rachel.

The brunette's eyes darted in her head, attempting to make sense of everything as she battled through her shock. Her best friend, the girl she had certainly been crushing on since last year had just kissed her and there she was standing there like a god damn melon. It just felt too good to be true. Was she dreaming? Had Fred and George slipped her something this morning at breakfast? Those two were always trying to up her on one of their little inventions. The longer Hermione took to say something the more dejected Rachel began to feel.

So when the door to the classroom opened suddenly it provided the perfect distraction for Rachel. Turning around she saw both Ginny and Luna standing in the doorway grinning at her.

"There you both are. Come on we need to get ready for the ball it starts in three hours" stated Ginny enthusiastically. Rachel quickly glanced back at Hermione who still hadn't said anything though the look of shock had faded from her face and a frown had replaced it, making Rachel feel even more dejected. Turning her head back to the two other girls Rachel nodded her head before walking towards the door.

Ginny and Luna easily recognised the heart-broken look on Rachel's face as she approached them but before either girl could ask her if she was alright the raven haired teen had slipped past them and was already vanishing round a corner. They quickly looked back at Hermione who had a panicked look on her face.

"Hermione you alright?" asked Ginny as the brunette walked up to them in a hurry. Hermione looked at them as if they had knocked her out of a daze.

"I'm fine I just need to talk to Rachel" stated Hermione as she slipped past them. But before she could chase after Rachel and gentle grip took a hold of her wrist. Turning to see who it was she was surprised to find Luna holding onto her wrist and Ginny looking at the blonde in confusion.

"Just give her some space right now Hermione. When she's like this she won't listen to anything you tell her even if it's the truth" explained Luna. Ginny immediately caught on to what Luna was implying though she said nothing. Hermione threw Luna a helpless look.

"I need to talk to her Luna, I think she's got the wrong impression and I don't want to leave her thinking that I don't..." Luna smiled her all-knowing smile.

"Right now the best thing you can do is go to the ball as you promised and sought things out with Viktor, you now have more than enough reason not to be with him" stated Luna. The brunette looked up in the direction that Rachel had disappeared into with longing before conceding.

"You're right. I need to sought things out with Viktor it isn't fair on him" agreed Hermione before she followed the two girls back to Gryffindor tower to prepare.

* * *

Having everyone's eyes on her was not the best feeling in the world. Hermione could tell you that for a fact for as she entered the Great Hall with Viktor and the other champion who were accompanied by their dates. From the corner of her eye she watched Ron scowl at Viktor, though she couldn't fathom why but otherwise she just tried to ignore the looks of shock, glares of jealousy and the few happy gazes as Viktor led her to the floor.

He smiled at her before assuming the position required for the waltz. Quickly placing her hand on his shoulder and her other hand in his the dance commenced once the music started. As they went through their paces Hermione couldn't help but notice that even though she was dancing with Viktor that spark she had experienced with Rachel wasn't there. She needed to tell Viktor as soon as she could so she could go and find Rachel.

Other couples began to join the champions on the dance floor and Hermione noticed Ginny and Neville looking as if they were having a fantastic time, especially Neville who danced like a professional with Ginny. Harry looked happy for the distraction of other couples and quickly made a beeline for one of the tables where Ron sat moodily with his date who looked ready to kill herself.

But no matter how hard she looked she couldn't find Rachel in the crowd and was beginning to worry. Slowly, she noticed that Viktor was pulling her out of the crowd and towards a less crowded corner of the Great Hall.

"Vat is wrong Hermione? Are you not enjoying the Ball?" he asked with such concern that it merely made Hermione feel worse about the situation. Sighing she looked up at the handsome young man.

"Viktor...this...this isn't working out for me" she stated softly. Viktor looked at her in confusion.

"Have I done something wrong? Have I offended you in any vay?" Hermione shook her head.

"No. God no it's nothing you've done or haven't done. It's just...It's just I don't feel for you the way you feel about me" Viktor slowly stood up straight and glanced to the side as he mulled over this new information. A small, understanding smile slowly formed on his face before he looked down at her.

"I understand. Could it be perhaps that dark haired beauty I have seen you viv?" Hermione's eyes widened in shock. How did he know? Viktor's smile widened at the sight for she hadn't denied it.

"It is alright Hermione. She is good person and vill look after you properly" the brunette smiled up at him gratefully as her eyes began to water. God how did she get so lucky. He was a good man and though he looked hurt by her earlier confession he was still understanding. He was definitely going to make one girl very lucky one day. It just wouldn't be her.

"Thank you" she whispered before wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and kissing him on the cheek in gratitude. Viktor smiled warmly and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm before they both released each other.

"I think you need to go find her and explain how you feel" suggested Viktor. Hermione nodded before walking over to where Ron and Harry sat; maybe they had seen her around. She cast a last thankful look over her shoulder at Viktor who merely smiled encouragingly back at her before she focused on finding Rachel.

"Hey 'Mione" greeted Harry as he turned and looked at the approaching brunette.

"Wow you look amazing" complimented Harry. Hermione smiled at him, there was no doubt in her mind that Harry was the brother she never had and she would always love him as such.

"You don't look too bad yourself Harry" she stated as she sat next to him. Ron merely glanced at her before going back to glaring at the floor.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" asked Hermione in confusion at his behaviour. What was bothering him this time?

"He's a Dumstrang. You know you're fraternizing with the enemy you are" muttered Ron as he continued to glare at the floor. Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief.

"The enemy?" she wasn't entirely sure she had heard him right.

"Yeah the enemy" re-confirmed Ron in a huff. Hermione scoffed in shock before shaking her head, she didn't have the time to deal with Ron she needed to find out where Rachel was.

"Harry have you seen Rachel at all?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"I haven't seen her all day actually. Is she alright?" Hermione nodded her head.

"She's fine. I was just wondering where she was because I haven't seen her yet" Harry shrugged his shoulders before sighing. He really hated these formal ball type events. He hated having to get all dressed up and look like a prat. Though it did make him feel slightly better knowing that he at least didn't look as bad as Ron did though he wasn't going to say that to the already moody teen otherwise he'd be in the doghouse again. Hermione sighed to herself as she thought of where Rachel could be.

"Bonjour" greeted a familiar Beauxbaton champion as she approached the trio with her date, a handsome, dark haired RavenClaw whose name Hermione didn't remember.

"Hello Fleur" greeted Hermione and Harry while Ron merely nodded in her direction causing Hermione to scowl at him.

"Don't mind him Fleur he's in a bit of a huff at the moment" Ron merely glared at Harry before returning his gaze to the ground.

"It is not a problem I am 'ere to see 'Ermione actually" the bushy brunette looked up at Fleur curiously. The blonde haired witch leaned forward and whispered into her ear. Brown eyes widened before she pulled away to look at the French witch's face. Fleur merely nodded down at her with a knowing smile.

"Goodnight gentleman" and with that the blonde haired witch re-entered the dancing crowd with her date. Hermione got up from her seat and began to head to the oak doors. Harry and Ron turned to watch her leave before looking at each other.

"What do you suppose that was about?" asked Ron to which Harry shrugged.

"No idea mate. No idea"

* * *

Rachel heard the sound of coughing and quickly turned her head towards the source. To her surprise she saw Hermione standing a metre away from her, wearing a beautiful dress but nothing else to shield her from the cold winter night.

"Bloody hell Hermione are you completely insane!" cried out Rachel in surprise as she stood and pulled off her jacket before wrapping it around Hermione's shoulders and pulling her down to sit next to her. Hermione smiled happily at the warmth of Rachel's jacket but her smile widened even more when Rachel wrapped her arms around her to keep her warm.

"Merlin what are you doing out here dressed like that? Trying to catch pneumonia" chided Rachel as she held her tightly. Hermione sniffed before burying her head into the crook of Rachel's neck and simply enjoyed having her arms around her.

"Hermione?" the brunette smiled softly before looking up at Rachel's concerned face. She giggled up at her which merely confused Rachel.

"I came out here to find you. I need to tell you something" Hermione spoke softly as she looked up at Rachel with a warm smile.

"Oh?" Hermione nodded assertively.

"I do. I need you to know how I feel. How I've felt for a very long time. I really like you Rachel. I'm not sure how long I've known that but I do. I think I started to really like you during the summer but it could've been longer than that..." Rachel's smile couldn't be any wider if she tried. The happiness that spread throughout her heart was indescribable as she listened intently to Hermione's words. She liked her! She really liked her! Rachel laughed happily as she squeezed Hermione close to her, never wanting to let her go.

"Oh Merlin you have no idea how happy you've just made me" Hermione smiled with her, she couldn't help it either Rachel's happiness was infectious and having that coupled with her own was something else entirely.

Rachel's smile never left her face as she leaned down and kissed the brunette once again. Except this time Hermione was more than ready for it.

* * *

I really hope you like this chapter and please comment :) Thanks agan for reading/


	33. Chapter 33

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 33 – A Perfect Evening, the Second Task and Danger

Rachel couldn't stop smiling as she held Hermione in her arms. She couldn't describe the elation that filled her and warmed her heart. She didn't want to move from this spot, she could quite happily just stay there with Hermione until morning. However, when the brunette shivered in her arms she grew aware of the dropping temperature and pulled away.

"Come on let's get you inside before you catch something" stated Rachel softly as she stood up. Hermione smiled up at her as Rachel offered her hand. Placing her hand in Rachel's, the ebony haired teen pulled her up to her.

"You look beautiful in that dress" whispered Rachel while Hermione blushed at the compliment. Refusing to release Hermione's hand the pair walked away from the stands in the Quidditch pitch and towards the castle. Completely unaware of a pair of hate-filled eyes that stared at them from a distance. The new couple remained silent as they walked up towards the entrance, simply enjoying each other's company.

"Do you want to tell the others?" asked Hermione nervously. She didn't know what reaction they would receive from their friends, she knew Ginny and Luna would be pleased that she and Rachel had finally gotten together but Harry and Ron she wasn't so sure, especially after Ron's behaviour over the last year towards her and Harry. She also wanted to know if Rachel wanted to keep their new relationship a secret. Rachel nodded her head.

"I want everyone to know how lucky I am to have you now. But only if you're happy with everyone knowing" Hermione smiled up at her as they entered the castle, with a quick glance she noticed Ginny and Luna looking at them from the entrance to the Main Hall with curious smiles. Hermione tugged on Rachel's hand and they both stopped with Rachel growing curious as to why Hermione suddenly had a mischievous smirk on her face.

One moment Rachel was looking down at Hermione suspiciously the next Hermione's soft lips were on hers and the sound of cheering was ringing in her ears. Hermione pulled away slowly with a massive smile on her face while Rachel had a dreamy smirk on hers. Glancing to the side, Rachel was amused to find Ginny and Luna cheering.

"Does that answer your question?" asked Hermione softly with a slight blush on her cheeks. Rachel smiled warmly before leaning down and kissing Hermione on the cheek.

"Get a room!" yelled Ginny which caused both girls to blush at the comment. Ginny grinned happily at the new couple before both she and Luna approached them. Luna smiled happily as Ginny embraced the two witches in a bear hug, laughing happily as they blushed.

"Merlin I'm so happy that you two have finally seen sense!" Rachel rolled her eyes before pulling away from the hug.

"Oh come on! Luna seriously how bad was it watching the pair of them live in denial of their feelings?" the blonde haired RavenClaw merely continued to smile as Rachel wrapped her arm around Hermione's waist. Rachel looked away from Ginny's ranting and caught the sight of a particular Beauxbaton champion looking in their direction.

"One sec" whispered Rachel as she kissed Hermione's cheek and released the brunette. Hermione smiled as she watched Rachel approach the French champion before turning her attention back to Ginny's ramblings of how obvious it had been that Rachel liked her etc.

"Bonjour Rachel" greeted the blonde haired Veela. Rachel smiled before wrapping her arms around the French witch's shoulders and hugging her. Fleur smiled warmly as she wrapped her own arms around Rachel's back.

"Thank you Fleur" whispered Rachel as she released the blonde haired woman. Fleur chuckled to herself.

"Zere is no need to zank me Rachel. All I did was tell 'er where you were 'iding" Rachel rolled her eyes at Fleur's comment.

"I wasn't hiding Fleur" argued Rachel pitifully which only made Fleur's smile widen in amusement.

"Rachel Rozern you were 'iding from 'er and now you 'ave realized what a fool you were, non" the statement of fact was merely met with a sigh and a nod of acknowledgment and caused Fleur to grin happily. She was very fond of the young Rothern and to see her finally with the one she wanted was heart-warming. The blonde haired Veela smiled over Rachel's shoulder as Hermione approached them.

"Fleur" greeted Hermione before she was wrapped into a hug from the French Veela.

"Take care of 'er 'Ermione" whispered Fleur into her ear. Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise at the caring tone in Fleur's voice. She had no idea that Fleur was so protective over Rachel but it merely made her happy to know that Rachel made a good choice in befriending the blonde.

"I intend to. I'm not ever letting her go" whispered Hermione. Fleur nodded in approval, she knew that the brunette would look after Rachel and maybe, just maybe, Rachel would let her. Releasing the intelligent brunette Fleur excused herself from the happy couple, claiming that her date was probably wondering where she had vanished to.

Rachel smiled, she just couldn't stop smiling! Everything was starting to get better and life wasn't looking as dreary as it had been a few days ago. Without a doubt this night had gone perfectly and now she could openly care for Hermione the way she wanted to.

* * *

The Christmas season flew by and the students once again settled back into student life at Hogwarts. Rachel and Hermione didn't have any chance of seeing each other over the holidays what with Hermione being in Kent with her parents and Rachel being forced to visit family in Ireland. They had kept each other up-to-date with frequent letters so that the distance wouldn't become too unbearable.

Rachel glanced up from her book and smiled softly at her girlfriend who sat opposite her. She loved watching Hermione study, the way she would sometimes mouth the word she was reading and frown as she contemplated the text in her hands was adorable to say the least. Everyone was in the library trying to help Harry figure out how he was going to be able to breathe underwater for an hour. They had been researching for hours and everyone was tired, Ron was sat in the corner snoring while Harry was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"There's nothing in here that's of help" muttered Hermione as she closed the book. Rachel watched as the brunette rubbed her rubbed her tired eyes before turning her attention to Harry.

"Harry tell me again what the message said" the raven haired teen slowly rose his head from where he had rested it on his book, blinking a few times he looked at Hermione tiredly.

"Come seek us where our voices sound..." Hermione nodded.

"The Black Lake, that's obvious" she confirmed.

"An hour long you'll have to look..." continued Harry. Again Hermione nodded in confirmation as she mulled over the information in her head. A snore attracted a glare from Hermione and much to Harry's amusement; Rachel scrunched up a spare bit of parchment and threw it at Ron's head. The poor boy woke up instantly and nearly fell out his chair. Both Rachel and Harry chuckled at the indignant look on Ron's face while Hermione merely shook her head.

"Hate to break up the study session but McGonagall wants to see you in her office" the familiar accented voice of Professor Moody interrupted them and drew their attention, with shadows dancing across his scarred face Moody looked downright intimidating. Harry made a move to get up from his seat but Moody merely shook his head.

"Not you Potter. Just Weasley and Granger..." Ron and Hermione cast each other confused yet curious looks.

"Now the pair of you get to it. Rothern. Longbottom help Mr Potter with his books" and with that order the ginger haired professor walked away from the curious teenagers. Ron yawned as he got up from his seat and stretched, a few cracks exuding from his tired body. Hermione stood up and walked over to Rachel, she leant down so her mouth came within an inch of her ear.

"I'll see you later then" she whispered before kissing her on the cheek. Rachel nodded with a small smile on her face as she watched Hermione tiredly walk away with Ron to go and see what McGonagall wanted.

Once Hermione was out of sight Rachel got up from her seat and went to help Harry put away his stack of books which had accumulated through their research. The Boy-Who-Lived looked up at Rachel with a knowing look on his face as she started putting some of his books back onto their shelves.

"Hermione really cares about you" he stated as he helped her. Rachel smiled to herself as she continued with her task.

"I don't think I've ever seen her this happy" he continued as he gathered together spare bits of parchment and put them back into their respective books.

"I just want to make her happy" Harry nodded slowly to show that he was listening. He was supportive of their relationship in every way, he could easily tell that Rachel valued Hermione above all else and that made him happy. Rachel was perfect for her and vice versa. The only thing he was worried about was what kind of attention they would draw, particularly Rachel from the Slytherin's. She was already unpopular with them but they, for all of their ignorance and arrogance, were very set in their ways and anything like homosexuality was frowned upon and exploited. He just hoped that neither of the girls would get hurt by the prats that made up the Slytherin house.

Neville Longbottom approached the two teens and grinned goofily at them. Rachel nodded her head at Neville while Harry smiled tiredly up at him before turning his attention back to returning his books. Neville started talking about Herbology, explaining a particular Herbologist's theory on a particular plant as he helped put books away before Harry snapped at him.

"Neville. No offence but I really don't care about plants. Now if there's a Tibetan turnip that lets me breathe underwater for an hour then great. But otherwise..."

"I don't know about a Tibetan turnip. But you could always try Gillyweed." Harry looked up at Neville hopefully before throwing a glance at Rachel who was looking equally as hopeful.

"Neville do you think you can get hold of some of it?" asked Rachel. When Neville nodded relief flooded through Harry like a tidal wave. Maybe he could pull this one off with more ease than the last task.

* * *

"Where are they?" whispered Harry nervously as his dark eyes darted around the wooden platform in search of Ron and Hermione. The poor boys nerves were shot and his adrenaline was pumping heavily, he really needed Ron and Hermione to be here. Rachel stood next to him and she too was looking in the crowd for Ron and Hermione, she was worried. She knew that Ron and Hermione wouldn't miss this so when they didn't show up something was clearly wrong.

"Welcome to the Second Task. Last night something important was stolen from our Champions, a treasure of sorts. These treasures, one for each Champion now lay at the bottom of the lake. In order to win each Champion need only to find their treasure and return to the surface" The four Champions lined up along the edge of the wooden platform, Harry cast Rachel a nervous look and she smiled encouragingly at him.

"Put it in your mouth Potter" Harry looked up at Moody who stood next to him before shoving the green substance that Neville had given to him on their way to the platforms into his mouth. The taste was vile and Harry had to stop himself from gagging and spitting out the substance. The sound of a cannon going off rang in the air and was quickly accompanied by the sound of splashing as the three other Champions dove into the icy cold water. Moody watched as Harry struggled to eat the Gillyweed and instead of letting the boy stay on the platform he merely pushed him in so the Gillyweed would react to the water and come into effect.

And so the crowd waited impatiently for the first Champion to surface all the while Rachel continued to look for Hermione or Ron. She just couldn't shake the horrible feeling that something was about to happen and it made her nervous that she couldn't find Hermione. What if she was the one in danger and that was why she had a horrible feeling in her stomach? Rachel attention was diverted to the sound of panicked cries as the blonde haired Beauxbaton Champion surfaced after forty minutes of waiting. Rachel's eyes widened as she noticed the pooling red around Fleur as she struggled to swim back to the platform.

"Someone get a medic!" barked out Rachel as she and a few other Beauxbaton students sprinted towards the ladder that would lead down towards the nearest platform to the water. Rachel jumped off the ladder and sprinted towards the edge where Fleur was struggling to keep her head above water. Kneeling down once she reached the edge Rachel reached out her hand and when Fleur grabbed a hold of it she pulled the blonde onto the wooden platform.

Her shoulder and arm was streaming blood from various gashes. Rachel sat next to the injured blonde as she clutched her injured limb tightly to her body, whimpering softly at the pain. Madame Pomphrey quickly appeared and started tending to Fleur's injuries as Rachel stood up so Fleur's friends could sit with her. Through the rush to help Fleur it seemed that Rachel had failed to notice that Cedric was the first Champion to pop up out of the water with Cho Chang in his arms. The crowd was roaring with cheers of congratulations as the eldest Gryffindor Champion swam back to the nearest one of three other platforms to him.

To Rachel's fury the next Champion to surface was Krum with Hermione in his arms. How fucking dare they put Hermione in harm's way for the sake of a tournament! Fleur's arm was in bloody ribbons thanks to Merlin knew what and they had knowingly put Cho and Hermione down there. Brushing aside her anger at what she thought to be carelessness on the professor's behalf she quickly knelt down near the edge and helped Hermione out of the freezing water. She didn't care that Hermione was soaking wet or freezing cold, the moment the brunette was standing on the platform she wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly.

"You okay?" she asked, worried. Hermione nodded against her shoulder but didn't move from Rachel's tight hold. She was confused as hell since she couldn't remember anything from accepting to take part in the Second task in McGonagall's office then to waking up the moment she and Krum surfaced in the water. Rachel looked up at Krum and smiled at him in gratitude. The handsome Dumstrang nodded his head before turning to the crowd and pumping his arms which got the crowd going. When Hermione started shivering in her arms Rachel pulled away from her tight hug.

"Go with Viktor and get warmed up. I'll wait down here for Harry" Hermione looked ready to protest but when her teeth started chattering Rachel kissed her on the cheek and gave her a look and she nodded before walking towards the ladder with Krum. At least now she didn't have to worry about Hermione being missing and a large amount of tension fled from her body. The dark haired Rothern watched her go before looking back out at the lake. Harry had now been down there for fifty minutes so the Gillyweed wouldn't last much longer.

Two familiar figures broke the surface of the water and caused Rachel to smile. Ron and Gabrielle looked up at the crowds with confused expression and slowly Ron began to help Gabrielle swim towards the platform. As they swam another figure broke the surface with such force that he ended up landing on the other platform with Cedric on it. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back so she could look at Fleur. The French Champion smiled weakly up at her before hissing as Madame Pomphrey jerked her injured arm.

Rachel shook her head as Fleur glared at the Hogwarts nurse before looking back at Ron and Gabrielle. It all happened so quickly and Rachel didn't have time to think so she acted. One minute Gabrielle and Ron were swimming towards the platform, albeit rather slowly since Ron was helping Gabrielle stay above water and the next a force dragged Fleur's sister beneath the water and left a frightened Ron behind. In a flash Rachel stripped herself of her black cotton jacket and trainers, she barked at one of the Beauxbaton students to summon the Bubble Head charm on her which they did out of fear of Rachel and she dived into the water.

"Gabrielle!" screamed Fleur as she tried to escape from the grip of her fellow students and Madame Pomphrey so she could dive in after her sister.

"Non Fleur! You are in no condition to go back in zere!" but the Fleur didn't listen and continued to struggle, her little sister was in danger and she wouldn't just sit on the sidelines dammit!

"Fleur stop or you will rip open your wounds!" begged Annette, an old childhood friend of Fleur's as she wrapped her arms around the struggling Veela. Tears were falling from the French witch's eyes as she stared at the spot where Gabrielle had vanished under the water.

"It will be all right Fleur. Rachel will get Gabrielle back for you" whispered Annette soothingly into the distraught Veela's ear.

Meanwhile Harry was having a tough time dealing with Hermione. They had both seen Rachel jump in after Gabrielle and Hermione was one step away from having a full nervous breakdown as they struggled to come up with a plan to help them. Hermione was filled with fear; there were things down there that had nearly ripped off Fleur's arm so she didn't want to imagine what they would do to Rachel. Damn that selfless pain in her arse! Hermione had no doubt that Rachel would end up giving her a heart attack if she kept this up. Harry wrapped his arms around the tense brunette to try and comfort her. Every second that neither girl surfaced was another second full of dread for everyone. The professors were in a frenzy trying to come up with a suitable plan.

Everyone was in a panic for what seemed like forever before a small girl emerged in the water. Gabrielle was screaming out Rachel's name as she searched the water around her. With no sign that the young Delacour was going to swim to safety Ron jumped back into the water and swam towards her, luckily for Ron who wasn't a strong swimmer Gabrielle had appeared fairly near to the platform so he quickly got to her and brought her back to her sister.

The moment Gabrielle was on the platform she found herself wrapped in her sister's arms as tears of relief trickled down Fleur's face. Dumbledore led the charge as all of the professor's appeared on the platform, closely followed by Harry and Hermione. The elderly Hogwarts Headmaster knelt to the side of Gabrielle and looked at the youngster.

"Gabrielle what happened down there? Where is Rachel Rothern?" he asked urgently. Gabrielle looked up at Dumbledore from where she had buried her face into her sister's shoulder.

"I don't know who it was but it was a man...'e 'ad a bubble over 'is face...'e was dressed in black..." Gabrielle swallowed the forming lump in her throat as tears trickled from her eyes "...'e wouldn't let go of me...'e kept pulling me down..." Fleur hugged her sister tighter to her, not paying any attention to the fact her wounded arm was searing painfully.

"...Rachel showed up and fired a spell at 'im and 'e let go of me...she grabbed 'old of me and started to pull me up to the surface before 'e grabbed 'old of 'er...ze next zing I know they 'ad both vanished..." Dumbledore nodded at the explanation though the concern in his eyes didn't fade.

"He apparated her" he mumbled to himself before standing and addressing the professor's.

"Search the grounds. I have a nasty feeling that young Miss Gabrielle's situation was a staged one in order to ensnare Miss Rothern"

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Okay sorry about the wait and I hope you liked this chapter. Please comment.


	34. Chapter 34

Right sorry about the wait had a load of college stuff to deal with. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 34 – Worried and a Blast from the Past 

Fleur watched from a distance as the Hogwarts professors talked in hushed voices to Harry and Hermione. Her keen Veela eyes could easily decipher Hermione's closed off expression and see the fear that gripped at the brunette's heart through her eyes. She understood more than anyone at that moment what was racing through the bushy haired teens head, the fear of not seeing a loved one ever again was one thing but to not know what was happening to them, the unknown, was even more grating on ones nerves.

Fleur glanced down at Gabrielle and hugged her little sister tighter to herself as she looked out at the lake. Gabrielle would've died if it hadn't been for Rachel and she had been incapable of helping either of them, it both frustrated her and made her feel ashamed. Gabrielle meant everything to her and someone else had to put themselves at risk to help her while she was forced to sit and hope.

"I am zo zorry Gabrielle zat I did not protect you" whispered Fleur. The youngest Delacour wrapped her arms around her older sister tightly.

"I am safe zanks to Rachel. Do not beat yourself up over zis Fleur zere was nozing you could have done. Not wiz your arm like zat..." Fleur briefly glanced down at her heavily bandaged arm before returning her gaze to Gabrielle's worried face.

"...but Rachel needs to be found. I am worried that somezing 'orrible 'as 'appened to 'er" Fleur nodded in agreement. She felt incredibly conflicted over Rachel's involvement, she wanted to find the girl and yell at her for being so foolish and reckless with herself but at the same time she wanted to thank the girl for intervening when she could not otherwise...no it was not worth thinking about what could've happened it would only depress Fleur further.

"She is frightened" whispered Gabrielle as she stared at Hermione.

"I am not surprised...she loves Rachel more zan she lets on" the brunette was so obviously in love with the young Rothern it was difficult not to notice. The Delacours watched with concern in their pale blue eyes as Hermione grew more agitated with the professors as their conversation continued, Harry placed his hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I feel zo guilty" whispered Gabrielle sadly. Fleur's eyebrows rose in alarm as she looked down at her sister.

"If I 'ad done somezing different...kept 'old of 'er hand or tried to get away from 'im instead of panicking zen Rachel would be 'ere wiz us and 'Ermione would not be on ze verge of tears" Fleur frowned in disapproval at Gabrielle berating herself. The eldest Delacour placed herself in front of Gabrielle and placed her hand underneath the distraught girls chin.

"Look at me..." the youngest Delacour looked up with tears in her eyes "...zere was nozing you could have done Gabrielle. Zis is not your fault. We are going to find 'er and every zing will be alright. I promise"

With a thunderous crack Rachel landed on her back in the midst of a forest. She cried out in pain as her arm seared painfully, sucking in a deep breath through clenched teeth she looked at her outstretched limb and winced. The limb was weeping blood from horrific tears in her flesh that stretched from across her shoulder all the way down to the back of her hand, great chunks of her flesh and muscle tissue having been stripped away. In effect the limb was useless and she struggled to even move her fingers. Just looking at her arm made her feel physically ill. Her nervous system was shot and at any moment her mind was going to fall into shock.

"It hurts doesn't it" echoed a sickly smooth voice as a figure concealed within the confines of a soaking wet cloak approached the convulsing teen. Panicked, unfocused eyes looked up at the figure as he came to stand next to the injured teen.

"Being splinched. It hurts doesn't it?" her chest was rising and falling rapidly as panic flooded her system and adrenaline coursed through her. Silver eyes lazily watched as Rachel tried to reach for her wand that lay a few centimetres from her good hand. A sickly smirk stretched itself across the figures concealed face as he bent down to retrieve the wand. Pale white hands played with the wood in fascination.

"You're probably wondering who I am aren't you?" asked the figure as he turned his back on Rachel and leisurely walked a few paces away from her. Rachel grimaced in agony as she closed her eyes.

"Oh no no no Rachel I need you to stay awake for this. Crucio!" It felt as if a thousand needles were attacking her nerves as the curse struck her. A strangled cry of pain escaped from her as her body twisted under the influence of the torture curse. Convinced that she was at least conscious the figure released her from the curse.

"You see Rachel I thought I had succeeded all those years ago and yet here you are. Crucio!" another cry of pain and movements that imitated that of someone having a seizure followed for a few moments before it stopped.

"Alive...but not so well it seems. Just how did you manage to survive? You're mother didn't and she was a far more accomplished witch than you could ever be and yet here you are." When only laboured breathing answered him he once again pointed his wand at the teen.

"Imperio" he stated. Her body was lifted up off the ground and she was made to stand, her blood dripping from her gaping wounds onto the grass beneath her. He approached the immobilized teen purposefully and when he came to a halt, mere inches from her he whipped off his hood and smiled in a deranged manner.

"Remember me now Rachel Rothern" he stated as his silver eyes pierced her blue ones "My name is Pelious Coldridge and I'm the last person you'll ever see before you die and this time...this time I'm going to make certain I get the job done..."

Fleur watched as Hermione and Harry walked towards them while the professors started to disband, obeying direct orders from Dumbledore it seemed. Ron, Luna and Ginny came rushing through the thinning crowd towards them.

"Fleur what's going on?" asked Ginny, worry written in her face and eyes.

"I do not know at ze moment..." answered the French witch quietly as she kept her eyes on Hermione as she and Harry stopped in front of them.

"Harry bloody hell what's going on mate? Where's Rachel and what's the plan?" the raven haired teen looked up at Ron with quiet frustration in his eyes. He sighed as he wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and gave her a light, comforting squeeze.

"They'll find her Hermione. I know they will" he whispered encouragingly. Hermione inhaled a shaky breath as she looked out at the lake. Harry looked up at Ron with silent concern.

"What's going on Harry?" asked Ginny. Before Harry could answer Hermione answered for him.

"Professor Dumbledore is certain that Rachel was the real target and not Gabrielle and now he and the other professors are conducting searches for Rachel..."

"Well that's good isn't it? How can we help?" asked Ron instantly. Harry shook his head at the hopeful suggestion.

"We're not allowed to search for her. Dumbledore said that whoever took Rachel is a dangerous sort of character and probably wouldn't hesitate to attack one of us should we find them. McGonagall agreed and forbade us from getting involved, saying that they couldn't knowingly put us at risk" Everyone started to voice their objections once Harry finished, declaring that they were more than capable of searching for Rachel and defending themselves, that there was more chance of finding her if they had more people searching for her.

And while everyone voiced their opinions Hermione stood there quietly, a plan forming in her head while the others bickered amongst themselves. Everyone was so involved in their bickering that by the time they turned to Hermione to ask for her opinion the bushy brunette had vanished and had left no indication as to where she had gone.

"Shit" muttered Harry under his breath.


	35. Chapter 35

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

* * *

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 35 – Curses and Found

Hermione walked cautiously through the Forbidden Forest with her wand tightly gripped in her right hand. Her dark brown eyes roamed between the trees, searching for any sign of her missing girlfriend. Her heart beat pounded in her ears as she remained vigilant for anything out of the ordinary. Every single sound set her on edge. A twig snapped to her left and immediately her wand was pointed in that direction with a stunning spell on the tip of her tongue. Luckily, the moment she recognised who was approaching her she lowered her wand and threw them an exasperated look.

"Jesus Fleur I nearly hexed you" she sighed as she watched the French champion walk towards her with her own wand grasped loosely in her left hand. The blonde frowned at the bushy brunette as she came to a halt beside her.

"Really 'Ermione I 'ad 'oped you would know better zan to run off on your own and leave your friends to worry about you. We 'ave already lost Rachel and we do not need you vanishing to" scolded the older teen. Hermione merely glared at Fleur before continuing to walk through the trees.

"Everyone is searching for 'er 'Ermione but what would Rachel say if she knew you had run off on your own to look for 'er?" asked Fleur as she walked a few yards behind the intelligent Gryffindor. Though personally Fleur was beginning to doubt the brilliance of Hermione Granger at this point, it was incredibly foolish of her to search through the Forbidden Forest on her own when someone dangerous was in the area. Fleur sighed as she continued to follow the brunette through the trees.

"I understand zat you are worried about 'er..." Hermione glanced at Fleur over her shoulder and the look on her face merely confirmed what Fleur already knew.

"...let me 'elp you look for 'er" pleaded Fleur as she appeared next to Hermione. The brunette nodded her head and offered Fleur and small smile before focusing ahead of her.

"Dumbledore's convinced that Rachel and whoever took her are still within Hogwarts grounds. Magical barriers exist to prevent people apparating out of the grounds and into the grounds so they must be here but the question is where. The only logical option as to where they could be would be the forest since Hogwarts is too crowded and they would be easily spotted" Fleur had to agree with the brunette's logic.

"I just want to find her Fleur" the French Veela glanced at Hermione from the corner of her eye.

"We will find 'er 'Ermione" assured Fleur confidently. The two witches walked deeper into the forest, unaware of dark grey eyes watching them from a distance.

* * *

"For four years I have been hunted like an animal because of you..." Rachel grunted as another cut formed a long her side as he flicked his wand as he spoke.

"...the Aurors have been searching for me. The moment you described me to them I had to go into hiding..." Another flick and another jet of blood.

"...my life was ruined and then I find out that my mission was incomplete and that you had survived. For years I have waited for the right moment to get to you..." Another cut, except this one was deeper than the others.

"I almost had you last year but your precious Gryffindor chums had to interfere and I was weak...oh so weak from a lack of blood..." Coldridge pulled Rachel up by the collar of her shirt so he could look her in the eye. The man was deranged and looked at her with madness in his eyes.

"I became this thing after an Auror attack on my temporary home. A friend of the Dark Lord blessed me with the gift of immortality only if I promised to serve. I only accepted because it would give me the chance to complete my mission" Blood stained his cold, pale fingers before he released his hold on her. Rachel collapsed into a bloodied heap on the grass.

"Coldridge" stated a masculine voice urgently.

"Not now Crouch I am busy" sneered the vampire as he dropped Rachel's wand onto the ground and retrieved his own from within his cloak.

"I want it to be my wand that ends the girl who made my life a misery" he muttered to himself as he ran his fingers over the dark wood.

"Coldridge we need to leave now. People are coming. You will have your chance later" his silver eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to look at his accomplice.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Upon receiving a nod he hissed in displeasure as he turned back to the barely conscious teen.

"I want her to suffer before her life comes to an end Crouch. I know just the spell..." he muttered before pointing his wand at the raven haired teen.

"Membra Laesa!" he stated with an intricate hand gesture. Rachel's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a silent scream as a horrific pressure formed over her organs. Blood trickled down the side of her mouth as she struggled to breathe. The pain was excruciating.

"What did you do?" asked Crouch as Coldridge turned away from the pain stricken teen and walk past him.

"The spell damages the person's organs Crouch. She'll be dead within two hours but she'll suffer the agony of having her body ripped apart by the spell" stated the vampire before he pulled his hood over his head.

"Don't you have work to do on the Potter boy Crouch?"

* * *

The two girls travelled silently through the trees, listening and watching. Fleur stopped in her tracks at the sound of faint voices in the distance. Hermione, after a few more steps, turned and looked at Fleur curiously.

"What is it?" she asked quietly. Fleur closed her eyes so she could block out unnecessary distractions and focus in on the voices as they grew louder. The moment she was certain that she didn't recognise the voices she grabbed onto Hermione's hand and pushed her index finger to her own mouth, signalling for Hermione to remain silent. She dragged the young teen towards a suitable hiding place behind a fallen oak tree where they hid.

Gripping their wands tightly in their hands they waited anxiously as the voices grew louder. Fleur glanced over the trunk to see who was approaching. She was annoyed by the fact the two men were wearing black cloaks with their hoods up so she couldn't memorise their faces so she listened in on their conversation.

"Do you think anyone will find her?" asked the smaller of the two and Fleur could swear that her heart stopped in her chest. Oh Merlin please tell her they hadn't...

"Doesn't matter if they do...by the time anyone comes across her the spell would've done enough damage to kill her off. She already has a weak heart from the last time we met" answered the taller one. Fleur lowered herself down and looked at Hermione fearfully. The brunette looked up at her with tears in her eyes. She had heard everything. Fleur glanced up once again from their hiding place to check it was safe. The two men were far enough away for the two girls to move without being caught.

"It iz zafe" assured Fleur and the two girls sprinted off in the direction the men had come from with heavy, fearful hearts. It felt like hours of running to the two girls before they finally came across the horrible scene they had been dreading. Rachel was lying limply on her back in a small opening, covered in blood and appearing lifeless.

Hermione's sprint slowed to a stunned walk while Fleur sprinted past her and dropped to her knees next to Rachel. She wasn't...she couldn't be...

" 'Ermione she's alive!" cried out Fleur as her hands hovered over Rachel's body. The sight of Rachel's left arm alone caused alarm to course through the French woman's heart. Thinking quickly Fleur pulled off her thick, blue woollen school jumper and tore it into strips before wrapping the fabric around Rachel's arm. The young Rothern released a pained moan which attracted Hermione's attention as she came to kneel opposite Fleur.

"It's alright. Everything's going to be alright now" whispered Hermione as tears threatened to fall from her brown eyes. Rachel coughed weakly and more blood escaped from her mouth only to trickle down the side of her face. Once the coughing fit subsided her breathing returned to it slow pace, struggled pace.

As Hermione pulled Rachel's head into her lap and began to whisper in her ear to try and keep her awake Fleur came across other injuries inflicted onto the young teen which made her frown as she wrapped them in the remains of her jumper. The injuries weren't adding up. Though severe and life threatening these injuries wouldn't cause one to cough up blood. Pulling herself away from her musings the only thing she needed to focus now on was keeping Rachel alive not pondering her injuries.

"We need to signal for 'elp" stated Fleur as she grabbed onto her wand and got to her feet. Pointing her wand up into the sky she muttered a spell and a red tinted flare shot up into the dull grey sky before exploding.

"I just 'ope zat one of ze Professor's see it" she whispered to herself before kneeling back next to Rachel. Fleur watched in despair as Rachel struggled to breathe, the teen didn't deserve to suffer like this, in such a painful way. A few seconds past before at least four cracks resounded throughout the forest and out of nowhere appeared Dumbledore who led Snape, McGonagall and Pomphrey towards the three girls.

"Miss Delacour? Miss Granger what are you two doing here?" McGonagall's Scottish voice demanded though she failed to receive an answer once the professors discovered Rachel's injured condition.

"Severus. Poppy get Miss Rothern to the infirmary immediately" commanded Dumbledore as he came to stand next to Hermione. The elderly Professor looked down at Hermione and placed a wrinkled hand on her shoulder as Snape and Pomphrey approached.

"You need to let her go so we can help her" whispered Dumbledore. Hermione nodded slowly before lowering Rachel's head back onto the ground. Within moments the Professors apparated away with Rachel leaving an empty space between Hermione and Fleur.

"She will be alright 'Ermione" whispered Fleur encouragingly as she looked at the distraught teen in concern. Dumbledore frowned sadly down at the bushy haired Gryffindor, there was something else to Rachel's injuries that he couldn't put his finger on and it angered him that one of his students had been attacked so easily on Hogwarts grounds.

"Minerva could you please escort Miss Granger and Miss Delacour back to my office please. I would like to search the forest some more for any clues as to Miss Rothern's assailant" requested Dumbledore. The Scottish Head of Gryffindor house nodded and approached the two girls.

"Please follow me girls" she stated though she looked on sadly as Fleur helped Hermione up. She was more than aware of Hermione's connection with Rachel Rothern which only made the scene she had apparated into all the more heart breaking. But she had to be strong now for the young Gryffindor looked on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

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And there we go - please review and I'm very sorry about the wait.


	36. Chapter 36

I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 36 – A Matter of Time 

"Her lungs" stated Severus as he stood beside the bed that Rachel had been placed on in the infirmary with his wand out and hovering above her unconscious body. Madame Pomphrey cast the injured teen a frantic look as blood continued to spill out from her mouth. The school nurse had experience with treating injuries, some of the worst imaginable and an extensive knowledge that was unrivalled of medicinal potions but this...this curse she could not cure.

Snape, however, was skilled not only in Potions but in the Dark Arts and his input was the only reason Rachel was still alive. He would analyse the effects of the curse through magic, watching the slow deterioration of her organs and telling Pomphrey when to administer a particular potion to heal the damage, even if it was only a temporary fix it kept Rachel alive and gave them more time to find a solution. The doors to the infirmary opened as Professor Dumbledore strode towards the three.

"How is she Severus?" he asked as he came to a stop next to Snape, his eyes concerned as he looked at Rachel's unconscious form.

"The girl has been struck with the Organ Damaging curse, if we can keep her organs from suffering the brunt of the curse then there is a chance that she will survive at least the two hours the curse remains in effect. However, her heart is the most troubling factor for it has already been damaged and if the curse reaches it then she will die" Dumbledore listened silently to Snape's explanation. The greasy haired Potions Master continued to analyze the curse.

"But you will be able to save her Severus?" he asked. Snape glanced up at Madame Pomphrey before looking at Dumbledore and giving him a solemn, but a confirming nod. The Headmaster felt relief at the news that one of his favourite students would be alright.

"Who would cast the Organ Damaging curse? Especially on a child" murmured Pomphrey sadly as she stood at the unconscious teens beside.

Yes. Who indeed thought Dumbledore before departing the infirmary with a worried look on his face.

* * *

Fleur glanced at Hermione as they sat within Dumbledore's office; McGonagall had questioned the two teens on how they had come across Rachel and the elderly professor hadn't been pleased with Fleur's answer and she had immediately turned to her favourite pupil to scold Hermione for her complete disregard for her own safety.

Though the Transfiguration Professor thought better of it as she observed the young brunette. Hermione was teetering on the edge of a full emotional breakdown and the last thing the Professor wanted to be responsible for was pushing her over the edge.

And so she left the two girls alone inside the Headmaster's office. Fleur observed Hermione silently from the corner of her eye and her heart went out to the bushy haired brunette. She could see that Hermione was trying to be strong, trying to keep the tears at bay. Fleur opened her mouth to say something comforting but found that no words were forthcoming so she quickly closed her mouth.

What do you say to someone when their girlfriend was lying hurt in an infirmary and there was nothing they could do to help? What could you say that would help them?

Suddenly, Dumbledore strode into his office and immediately attracted the attention of the two girls. Hermione was on her feet and walking towards his desk as the elderly Headmaster sat himself down in his seat.

"Professor what's happening? Is Rachel alright?" Fleur rested her hand on top of Hermione's shoulder in a gesture of comfort but Hermione only had eyes for Dumbledore. The Headmaster sighed before speaking.

"Rachel is currently under the influence of the Organ Defectum curse. Do either of you know of the curse?" upon receiving confused expression and shakes of the head Dumbledore continued.

"The curse is a vicious one. It burns away at the internal organs until they stop functioning all together. But luckily with the combined efforts of Professor Snape and Madame Pomphrey, Rachel should recover"

A heavy sigh of relief escaped from Hermione at the news that Rachel was going to be alright. It felt as if the world had been lifted from her shoulders and breathing was made easier. A soft, relieved smile formed on her face as she closed her eyes.

"You will be able to see her within a few hours Miss Granger. But first I need to ask you both if you saw anything that could be linked to the attack on Rachel" Hermione's eyes opened and immediately the memory of the two cloaked individuals sprang into her mind.

"Professor both I and 'Ermione saw two men in ze woods shortly before we found Rachel." Dumbledore's eyes widened by a fraction and he lent forward in his seat slightly.

"Did you manage to see what they looked like?" he asked. Both Hermione and Fleur shook their heads. Another sigh escaped from Dumbledore.

"What you did...going off alone to look for Rachel was incredibly foolhardy, you do realise that don't you?" Fleur nodded while a soft smile formed on Hermione's face.

"Rachel would've done the same if it had been one of us" she stated quietly. A smile formed on Dumbledore's face.

"Yes she would have done. An exceptional young woman is Rachel Rothern and I hope she makes a fast recovery. After all, Hogwarts wouldn't feel quite the same without her" Looking at the two girls he grew thoughtful.

"Anyway back to your dormitory Miss Granger and your carriage Miss Delacour. I believe that today has been a particularly stressful one and you could both do with a bit of rest" Both girls nodded before departing from the office.

* * *

The next few days were stressful and passed slowly for Rachel. Her body was incredibly weak and she suffered numerous pains in her torso from the damage her organs had taken from the curse. Waking up hadn't been a joyful experience. The moment she had opened her eyes she had been greeted with Professor Snape and that alone had been a frightening thing to wake up to but the pain...at first she couldn't breathe properly and she had panicked before being forced to take a sleeping potion.

She wanted to get up. She wanted to see her friends but more importantly she wanted to see Hermione. But Madame Pomphrey had refused to let her leave until she was certain that she had created a stronger version of Rachel's heart medication. Unfortunately, the two professors had been unsuccessful in keeping the curse away from her heart and now it was weaker.

It was depressing. Lying alone in the hospital wing, her body aching with every breath she took. Luckily the pain wouldn't last much longer according to Professor Snape but that did little to help when she was the one finding it difficult to breathe properly. Apparently, Madame Pomphrey forbade anyone from visiting Rachel which made her time even more depressing. So she spent most of her time either cringing in pain, asleep or trying different potions that would help her heal quicker.

Waking up slowly, Rachel blinked a few times before reality came crashing back. Once she regained her senses the first thing she noticed was a warm object encompassing her hand. Looking down at her limb a smile stretched itself across her face as she observed Hermione sleeping on a chair next to her bed.

Merlin it was so good to see her and Rachel's smile widened as she realized that Hermione was breaking Pomphrey's strict no visitor's policy just to see her. Granted it was the middle of the night and Pomphrey and Snape were in bed so it made it an easier thing to do but the gesture was still incredibly sweet.

A small frown formed on Rachel's face as she noticed the dark rings underneath Hermione's closed eyes. She hated it when the brunette stopped looking after herself properly. Shifting upwards, Rachel attempted to sit upright. The process was noticeably easier and Rachel was thankful that the pain had been reduced to minor aches inside her body.

Obviously her movements hadn't been silent enough and quietly Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at her. Hermione stared up at Rachel before sitting up slowly. The raven haired Rothern was slightly concerned about the brunette's reaction. Her face was void of any emotion as she looked at her and it worried her.

That was before Hermione in one swift movement wrapped her arms around Rachel's neck and gave her the mother of all kisses. Fireworks went off in her stomach and Rachel's arms quickly found themselves wrapped around Hermione's waist. Not being able to support her torso upright Rachel slowly pulled back and used one of her arms as a crutch to support her body.

"I can get use to waking up to that" whispered Rachel softly as she stroked Hermione's side with her fingers. Hermione shook her head with a small smile on her face before she grew serious. Rachel hated watching Hermione's smile fade from her face, she much preferred a smiling Hermione to a serious one who was probably about to lose her temper with her.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hermione. Rachel suddenly became quite interested where her fingers were stroking.

"I've had worse pain I'll admit..." she had to tell her the truth. She had promised her she would. "...but my chest hurts still" Hermione nodded before smiling softly and pressing her hand against Rachel's cheek, forcing her to look at her.

"I'm just glad your alright. I couldn't wait a moment longer to see you. Snape and Madame Pomphrey had banned us all from trying to see you the other day and I was worried that you..." trailing off Hermione shook her head to dispel the horrible thoughts that had been running through her head.

"But you're okay...right?" Rachel released a sigh.

"I'll live...I'll still be able to play Quidditch and kiss you..." that gained a small smile from the brunette

"Can we talk properly when I'm out of here. Right now I just want to hold you" the brunette looked at her with a curious stare before relenting into a charming smile.

A few minutes later Rachel and Hermione were laying next to each other on the bed. Their arms wrapped around each other contently. Rachel knew that she would have to tell Hermione about her now worse heart condition eventually but right now she just wanted a bit of peace with her girlfriend before she fucked it all up again.


	37. Chapter 37

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 37 – Issues of the Heart

"How are you feeling dear?" asked Madame Pomphrey as she stood next to the bed with a clipboard in hand, eyeing her patient with suspicion.

"I feel better, just minor aches now" answered Rachel. She had been stuck in bed for too long now and she was itching to get up and about. The way the school nurse scrutinised her made Rachel feel uncomfortable, she didn't like being kept under watch and she certainly didn't like the way the nurse fussed over her.

"Do you feel any pain in your chest? Are there sharper aches around there?" Yes of course there were. Her heart was now weaker thanks to the curse and sometimes even inhaling deeply caused a sharp ache that left her feeling wary of her health.

"Sometimes" answered Rachel reluctantly. All she wanted was to leave this place. The frown on Madame Pomphrey's face made Rachel wish she hadn't said anything. She was going insane sitting in bed all day answering peoples questions about her heart and being told to rest or take different kinds of potions.

She needed to get out of here.

"Rachel I would like to keep you here for a little longer…" an aggravated sigh escaped from the young Rothern which earned her a deeper frown from the school nurse.

"…it would be in your best interests to stay here a little longer so we can run some more checks. I'm worried that we haven't grasped the full extent on how damaged your heart has become"

Rachel understood, it didn't make it any easier for her to accept but she understood why Madame Pomphrey wished to continue her examinations.

"I think Miss Rothern could do with some fresh air" a small, grateful smile formed on Rachel's face as Dumbledore entered the conversation.

"Albus I don't think she should…"

"She has been here for over two weeks now Madame Pomphrey. Surely if a problem were to present itself it would have done so by now? Perhaps we could arrange a schedule where Miss Rothern would come for regular checks on her health so we can be certain there are no underlying issues?"

The elderly Headmaster winked at Rachel who returned the gesture with a smile.

Eventually, after putting up a good fight, Madame Pomphrey relented and allowed Rachel to leave the infirmary so long as she kept to the agreement of attending daily appointments with the nurse and to not engage in strenuous activity, all to which Rachel happily agreed.

Stepping out of the infirmary, Rachel made her way to the Great Hall. Judging by the time she would make it just in time for lunch. As she walked down the empty corridors Rachel couldn't help but ponder the dull throb in her chest. A frown formed on her face; unconsciously Rachel pressed her hand over her heart. Rubbing gently, she frowned as she felt the irregular thumping sensation beneath her fingers.

Rachel didn't know what to make of it anymore; ever since that night all those years ago she had loathed the fact her own heart refused to function on its own. For so long now she had managed to delude herself into thinking that she was fine and could live a normal life as long as she took a couple of tablets every night. But now she wasn't so sure, she felt weak and uncertain of herself and she hated it.

Stopping in her tracks a sense of dread that she hadn't felt in years filled her. What would happen now? A vampire wanted her dead and was more than aware of her weakness, what if he came back? What if he hurt someone close to her?

So lost in her thoughts she failed to notice Leon Cravatt and his goons approaching her.

"Well well look at what we have here boys. A little Gryffindor all alone and with no one around I think it's time we taught this one a lesson in superiority"

Rachel lowered her hand and glared at the grinning teen. Her heart hammered in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her veins; she winced at the sharp tugging sensation in her chest as her heart strained to keep up with the pace her body wanted it at.

"Nothing clever to say Rothern?" goaded Leon. Rachel merely glared in response.

"Not very talkative are we? Suppose we'll have to teach you manners and remind you of your place" before she could respond a fist collided with her stomach. Doubling over, Rachel clutched at her stomach as she tried to force air into her lungs.

Leon grabbed onto her shoulder and threw her into the wall, keeping her head bowed forward he punched her a few more times.

"Had enough Rothern?" question Leon as his friends grinned. Her black hair fell in front of her face, concealing her growing fangs. Everything hurt, her head hurt, her chest hurt…her heart hurt but she would not take a beating without retaliation and without her wand, there was only one other weapon at her disposal.

A low growl escaped from her clenched teeth. The Slytherin's laughed.

"I do believe she's growling at us boys" laughed Leon.

The transformation was slower than she remembered and it hurt….Merlin it hurt. But soon she was on all fours and snarling angrily at the frightened Slytherins. Sharp white teeth were bared at them as her facial features were twisted into an aggressive snarl.

She was in terrible pain. Her heart was pounding irregularly in her ears and her chest felt like it was caving in. She couldn't breathe properly as she struggled to inhale. Keeping her eyes in front her vision swam, failing to focus on the danger in front of her.

The boys quickly pulled out their wands and aimed them at the black wolf in front of them.

"Now we're gonna put you down like the animal you are" stated Leon.

"Non!" the Slytherins snapped their attention to the French Champion as she strode over to them with her own wand outstretched.

"Stay out of this! We're doing this school a service by putting this animal down" barked Leon as he returned his attention back to the clearly pained animal in front of him.

Graced with speed that only those of Veela decent possessed, Fleur was suddenly standing next to Leon with her wand tip pointed at his throat.

"If you utter one spell I will put an end to you" threatened Fleur, her thick French accent becoming more pronounced as her eyes darkened. Glaring one last time at the wolf in front, Leon knew he was beaten. With a flick of his head his goons withdrew their wands and he put his back into his robes pocket.

"Leave now. Before I change my mind" stated Fleur coldly. They weren't that stupid and quietly they left. The frown on her face quickly twisted into concern as Fleur directed her attention to the pained animal that was now lying helplessly on its side.

Kneeling down in front of the beautiful creature Fleur put her wand back into her wrist holder. She reached forward and stroked the whimpering animal's fur.

"Shh it eez okay now, you are safe" whispered Fleur gently. Her heart clenched in her chest as she watched tears escape from the animals closed eyes before the body began to shift beneath her fingers.

Her light blue eyes widened in amazement as the body shifted into that of…

"Rachel" she couldn't hide the shock in her voice. It explained so much to her. Why her Veela was always on edge around the raven haired Rothern, why she smelled different to the other students.

The pain wouldn't go away. Rachel groaned as she clutched at her chest and tightened her body into a ball. Why did it hurt so much?

"I'm going to get 'elp. Stay wiz me Rachel everyzing will be okay just stay wiz me" comforted Fleur as she searched the corridor for anyone. A hand reached out and grasped her wrist. Looking down Fleur could see the determined look in Rachel's eyes.

"No…please. It will pass" She didn't want anyone to find out. She didn't want Hermione to see what had become of her. She couldn't bear it.

"Let me get 'Ermione at least" pleaded Fleur. The brunette should be here with her not Fleur.

Shaking her head Rachel released Fleur's wrist and set to getting herself up. With assistance from the blonde haired Veela Rachel sat with her back against the wall. Keeping her hand pressed against her chest Rachel closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing.

"No…it will pass. She doesn't need to know" whispered Rachel. The pain was lessening, something she was grateful for.

"What eez wrong wit you Rachel?" asked Fleur quietly. Rachel opened her eyes as tears began to form in them.

"What isn't wrong with me?" she asked rhetorically. She hated this. She wanted her life back. She wanted a heart that bloody worked. Fleur frowned at her, not liking the defeated tone of her voice. This was the woman who had braved the Lake to save her sister? No, this Rachel was different from the brave woman who had done that.

"Please don't tell Hermione…or anyone else. I can handle this it…it's just going to take time"


End file.
